Chapter 11

Enter the Sun Dragon

'Just when it seems that you are lost and all alone, you will find the courage and strength to carry on.'

Wandering aimlessly around the labyrinth-like corridors of the hospital before visiting Ruby had become something akin to a ritual for Weiss. It helped take her mind off how useless she felt, but also had the added benefit of helping alleviate the nagging stiffness and soreness her body still felt. Perhaps most importantly however, it gave her the time necessary to put on a brave face in front of Ruby. An icy mask and nothing more.

She was still unconscious of course, and had been for the past three days, but at all hours of the day and night Weiss could hear Ruby's voice accusing her of all the things she already knew to be true. After walking around for an hour or two however she'd eventually begin to recognize the voice as belonging to herself, which sounded frighteningly similar to her father's.

Weiss passed the hall where Ruby's room was located for a third time. Schnees were not supposed to be cowards, nor were they supposed to be manipulated by anyone but especially not their own emotions. When they made a mistake, a Schnee was expected to provide restitution, but only out of a sense of debt, not guilt and certainly not gratitude.

For that reason Weiss was paying for all of Ruby's medical expenses, and had replaced her clothes and everything else that had been destroyed by the crimson Gyarados, which had hopefully starved to death or died from its wounds by now. She even bought her a new Pokégear, or at least a used one exactly like the twenty-year-old model she had lost.

Her instincts told her to replace everything with new or better than, but Weiss knew that wasn't what Ruby gravitated toward. She wore clothes because they were comfortable, not because they were fashionable, and she would rather make do with outdated maps than use a GPS. No amount of money would ever be able to replace what she had lost, or repay her for what she had done. Shopping just gave Weiss an excuse to feel mildly useful and help drown out the voices in her head.

She was just thankful her father looked at her bank account so infrequently that her and Ruby's hospital bills would likely go unnoticed. Her father had warned her something like this would happen, and if he ordered her to return home at that very moment, Weiss wasn't sure if she had the strength to stand up to him again.

By the time she passed Ruby's room a fifth time, Weiss hesitated outside her door and took a series of deep breaths. Ruby had been moved out of ICU once it was determined that she was physically uninjured, and instead had been moved into a recovery room near the Pokémon Center. Doctors couldn't explain why Ruby was still unconscious, other than to say her body was severely exhausted and as though she'd never eaten or drank anything her entire life.

It was a mystery that Weiss had no intention of revealing the cause of anytime soon. One nurse had described it as though Ruby had been reset to her factory default settings like a computer, which Weiss thought was rather fitting for someone reborn from ash.

Shaking off all unnecessary and unbecoming emotions for a Schnee, Weiss put on the bravest smile she could manage and lightly rapped on the door before entering. She said good morning to Ruby who of course didn't respond, but kept the door cracked just in case she did.

Ruby was curled up in a comfortable-looking bed with IVs in her arm and breathing tubes under her nose, and looked as though she was merely napping. A familiar red cloak had been draped atop of her like a blanket, but since it was the only one of Ruby's belongings that she hadn't been able to replace or repair, she assumed it must have come from Sakura despite her rarely leaving Ruby's side the past three days.

Her eyes wandered over to the window, expecting to see Sakura sitting there, struggling to stay awake after either arriving there early or staying overnight, but instead saw a tall blonde in a brown duster sitting there with Ledian and Togetic in her lap. Weiss barely gave her a second glance however, and instead stared intently at the massive orange wolf with a lion's mane lying outside the window. It dwarfed Meganium curled up next to it, and both were too busy nuzzling their faces together to notice her.

Weiss took a step back and regarded Ruby's visitor, recognizing her in an instant despite having never met her before. The teenage girl gave her a thorough lookover and flashed a crooked grin. "You must be Weiss," she said. "I'm Yang, Ruby's-"

"-sister," Weiss finished, frozen mid-step. "Sakura's been trying to get a hold of you."

Yang nodded, her grin appearing more forced than before. Ledian and Togetic both greeted Weiss with smiles and halfhearted waves, but were too preoccupied getting their wings tickled to give their customary hugs and kisses this morning.

"I was training on the other side of Mt. Silver near the summit," Yang continued. "It would've probably been easier to get Rayquaza's attention with smoke signals than to get ahold of me. Thankfully Sakura thought to call the Pokémon Ranger station there. They found my camp last night, and we took off for Mahogany Town before the ranger could finish yelling at me about fire safety. We just got here a couple hours ago."

Weiss blinked. "You traveled from the eastern summit of Mt. Silver to Mahogany Town in a single night?"

Yang stifled a yawn and nodded. "Arcanine can run about two hundred and sixty miles an hour in an open field, and after training on top of a mountain for nearly three months, my fire Pokémon have never burned hotter. Isn't that right, boy?" She reached out and petted the wolf-lion who yipped in agreement and happily licked Meganium's formerly tear stained face.

"We're both pretty exhausted though even if he doesn't wanna admit it," Yang said. "That's why Sakura's getting me another double shot of espresso. The rapid change in elevation probably isn't helping either, or moving into a new time zone for that matter. You think Ruby would mind if I kicked her out of bed for a little while? I need it more than she does."

She chuckled to herself and Ruby's Pokémon joined her, apparently having missed their trainer's big sister and her peculiar sense of humor. Weiss meanwhile still stood halfway across the room, fidgeting awkwardly when Yang motioned for her to sit down.

Weiss took a step forward before hesitating, her reluctance having very little to do with the fire breathing wolf-lion behind Yang, whose hair oddly resembled Arcanine's mane. "It's alright," she said. "You don't have anything to be worried about. Sakura's already told me what happened. For some reason people tend to tell you everything you wanna hear when they see you climbing off the back of an Arcanine, including stuff you'd rather not hear." Yang winced and glanced at her sister. "We have a lot to talk about, but it can wait until Ruby wakes up. I'm not sure I wanna talk about it more than once anyway."

With more than a little reluctance Weiss took a seat. Meganium greeted her by rubbing its snout against her shoulder before retreating back out the window to continue nuzzling with Arcanine. Weiss vaguely recalled that Growlithe had been Yang's childhood Pokémon, and presumed the two must have known each other from their fleeting time together in New Bark Town back when Meganium was still just a Chikorita.

"How's Ruby been doing?" Yang asked. "Besides the obvious of course. Sakura tells me that she just beat Morty for her sixth gym badge, and on her first try no less. I hear you're quite the trainer yourself. Fourteen badges, right?"

Weiss nodded, unsure how Yang could be so nonchalant and talk about trivial matters at a time like this. As a Schnee she was no stranger to cold facades even at funerals, but her little sister lying in a hospital bed didn't seem to phase her even the slightest.

"She'll be alright," Yang said, reading her mind. "The doctors say she just needs rest."

"How can you be so sure? What if she never wakes up? What if she's never the same? What if-" She closed her mouth before her hysterics could get any worse, if that was possible.

Yang smiled kindly and squeezed her hand. "None of this is your fault, Weiss, and Ruby will tell you herself when she wakes up. It sounds like you screwed up, but every decision Ruby made was her own, and she knew the consequences before making them. She also knew better than anyone the risks that go along with being a trainer. You knew them too, and so did your Pokémon. You're not the first trainer to bite off more than they could chew, and it probably won't be your last time either."

"I don't know about that," Weiss said quietly. "I'm not sure if I even want the possibility of a next time..."

Yang studied her for a few moments before looking back at her sister again. "You don't mean that. I know that look because I've seen it myself looking in the mirror. You're just punishing over something that wasn't your fault. You'll see."

Weiss didn't agree but wasn't in the mood to argue, or even talk really, and so brooded silently while Yang and the Pokémon giggled and teased one another as if she wasn't there.

"I know it's only been a couple of weeks since the two of you met," Yang said a few minutes later, "but even though she's shy, once Ruby starts talking sometimes it's hard to get her to stop. Not sure where she gets it. Anyway, did she ever tell you how scared she was to go on a journey all by herself?"

Weiss shook her head. It was possible, but she had a habit of tuning Ruby out when otherwise unimportant information dribbled out her mouth, something that she was suddenly ashamed of. "No, but it doesn't surprise me. Your sister's rather excitable and jumps at her own shadow. Uh, no offense. If it's any consolation, I was scared to go on my journey too."

'Scared I'd fail and prove Father right,' she added, 'and disappoint Winter.' Weiss thought the fear of failure and disappointing her own sister was what probably scared Ruby the most as well. She had certainly experienced enough of it, and vaguely recalled Ruby saying something about the Cyndaquil and Totodile trainers that left New Bark Town the same time as her citing nepotism as the only reason she was receiving a starter Pokémon and Pokédex. Weiss suddenly felt the urge to teach them both how wrong they were, and would make sure it was as painful a lesson as it had been for herself.

"I was scared too." Yang leaned back in her chair contemplatively. "I think we're all a little scared when we first start out, just some more than others." She smiled at the girl lying in bed, and perhaps instinctively Meganium released Sweet Scent, causing all of them to take a deep breath and sigh, and for Arcanine to playfully nibble on her flower.

"Ruby coming along with me on the Alola Island Challenge and the Orange League was good for her, but she still wanted to come with me through Johto. I wouldn't have minded it, but I didn't want Ruby to be my cheerleader forever, and we both needed to go through Johto at our own paces." She smiled as if suddenly embarrassed. "I was sixteen and excited to explore a new region all by myself, and I guess a part of me was scared she'd slow me down just as much as I'd rush her along."

Weiss nodded, having felt similarly, and Yang turned to look at her. "In a way I'm glad it's taken her so long to finally start making friends and find a traveling companion. She needed to learn to rely on herself and trust her instincts, and her Pokémon, and learn that just because you're scared doesn't mean you're not brave. Truth is, considering how scared she is all the time, Ruby's the bravest person I know."

"Me too," Weiss thought aloud, blushing when she realized and saw Yang smiling at her. "I-I mean-"

"I was a little worried that she'd run into someone who'd take advantage of her," Yang continued, saving her from further embarrassment. "Not just some scumbag that'd take advantage of a fourteen girl too sweet and naïve for her own good, but someone who'd let Ruby lean on them more than they should, thinking they were helping her when they weren't. I actually asked a few friends I'd made at gyms and Pokémon Centers to keep an eye on her and call me if they saw her traveling with anyone they didn't like the looks of. Thankfully I never got any calls."

Weiss nodded, though didn't know quite what to make of the smile Yang was giving her. "I'm a Schnee, which means I'm one of those kinds of people, but only because everyone else tries to take advantage of me first. When you have money, you better realize quickly that everyone is out to get it, otherwise you won't have any left and be in debt. It means not having very many friends, and trusting motivations like greed and self-interest more than actual people. Your sister is the first person I can honestly call my friend. Sakura's my second, though I think I may have a higher opinion of her than she has of me. Can't exactly say I blame her..."

Yang squeezed her hand again. "Guess that makes me your third, huh?"

Weiss sniffled and turned away. "It's far too early in the morning to start crying," she said, carefully wiping her eyes, particularly her scarred eye. "That's all I've done for three days now. At this rate I'm never going to be able to wear makeup again."

Yang laughed and wrapped an arm around her, and Weiss began to see why Ruby spoke so highly of her. She suddenly found herself wishing her own sister was like this, and that they hugged more than just once or twice a year at charity events or funerals. Although she wasn't entirely comfortable with physical contact, she found herself leaning more and more into the embrace, and fought back tears when Ledian and Togetic crawled into her lap.

How long they remained like that Weiss wasn't sure, but eventually there was a light rapping on the door that caused her to quickly and stealthily wipe her eyes and withdraw back into her own chair far away from Yang. As a Schnee she always had to remain mindful of how just a single photograph might look because even something as innocent as an embrace or twinkle in her eye might make the front cover of a gossip magazine.

She hadn't needed worry however as Sakura poked her head in a moment later, maneuvering two piping hot coffees in a carrier and a vase of get-well-soon flowers in the other. Her gaze immediately gravitated toward Ruby and remained there for several moments, but eventually she noticed Weiss sitting by the window, overshadowed somewhat by the tall blonde and her wolf-lion.

"Good morning, Weiss," she said, mildly surprised. Weiss didn't normally visit this early but she hadn't been able to sleep and had run out of excuses for not keeping Ruby, Sakura, and the Pokémon company. "Sorry, I only brought two coffees. I can run back and get you another if you want."

Weiss shook her head. "That's alright. Schneebucks is ironically rather bland to my more refined palate. You didn't hear that from me however."

Yang snorted and greedily accepted a cup. "You must get along great with Ruby then. She'd drink coffee from a mud puddle if it had caffeine and sugar in it." She took a sip and her expression soured somewhat. "Actually, I think that's where this came from." She shrugged and took a big gulp.

"Maybe the smell will help wake her up," Sakura said humorously. She set both the flowers and her cup on the bedside tray, and after making sure Ruby was comfortable, took a seat beside her across from the other girls. "If that doesn't work, maybe we can try putting coffee in her IV."

"This is probably all because of low blood sugar and caffeine withdrawal," Yang said, playing along. "Weiss, are you sure she actually died and didn't just pass out? Wouldn't be the first time someone's made that mistake with her."

Weiss stared at her in shock and revulsion, and even Sakura seemed unnerved by how casually she spoke. The Pokémon meanwhile just grinned, either not understanding her words, just her tone, or having expected as much from her.

"My family has a warped sense of humor and way of dealing with these kinds of things," Yang explained, swishing her coffee around. "Ruby's alright, and she's gonna wake up, which means I'm allowed to make jokes and laugh at them, especially after the night I've had."

The pair shrugged as her explanation seemed reasonable enough. 'Must be an older sister thing,' they agreed.

Despite Schnees being notorious for their dry senses of humor to go along with their cold dispositions, Weiss still couldn't find anything humorous about the situation, but fought back a giggle when she tried to speak again. She quickly covered her mouth and looked around the room to see if the others had noticed. They had, and she was about to apologize when she caught Togetic giggling in her lap.

'Togetic's classified as the Happiness Pokémon,' said the more academic part of her brain, the only part still fully functioning. 'They can sense the kindness in people's hearts and sprinkle what the Pokédex calls joy dust on them. If that's the case, why of all people is she sitting in my lap?'

Perhaps Togetic read her thoughts because after a parting hug and kiss to Ledian, she kissed Weiss and floated across the room to Sakura's cup of coffee. She took a teaspoon sized sip before perching in Sakura's lap, whose face immediately brightened. She began lightly massaging Togetic's wings just the way she liked, and the little fairy's eyes lit up with psychic energy before being covered by Sakura's hand.

"No peeking with Future Sight," she admonished lightly, recognizing the attack. "You're too tired, and you nearly passed out the last time you tried."

"The explosions outside also weren't very funny," Weiss added.

Togetic's lip quivered and she looked down, but Sakura kissed her atop the head which immediately perked her back up again. "Yang's right, Togetic. Ruby will be alright. She just needs to rest, and so do you."

As if in response, Ruby stirred in her sleep and everyone held their breath, but finally exhaled a minute later when the rhythmic breathing returned.

"Maybe this is her way of catching up on sleep," Sakura said, laying a hand on her cup. "Ruby told me once that she has trouble sleeping sometimes. I don't think all the caffeine, sugar, and energy drinks help, especially her anxiety, but I'd imagine this is probably the best sleep she's gotten in a long time."

Neither girl responded while Sakura continued playing with Togetic's feathers and drumming her cup. "What's wrong?" Everyone was looking past her toward the bed, including Espeon suddenly perched on the window sill, but before she had time to turn, a hand laid on top of hers.

"Did someone mention coffee?" Ruby asked weakly.

(A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. When I originally wrote the outline for this arc, Yang was going to take Sakura's place in Chapter 10 but it made too much sense to bring Sakura back, there really wasn't a logical reason for Yang to arrive at the hospital so quickly, and I didn't want to introduce her in a chapter where she wouldn't get the focus she deserves. This version of Yang differs slightly from my other interpretations of her character as she's already mellowed out from her three to four years of journeying, and taking care of Ruby isn't her highest priority. It's still very high on her list mind you, but other versions of Yang wouldn't have allowed Ruby to go on a journey all by herself (especially this particular version of Ruby). Since Yang's not a main character of this story I didn't mind having her character arc already complete, and I kind of think of her as being a big sister and/or mentor figure to the other girls.

Also, Growlithe/Arcanine being Yang's first Pokémon was fitting to me, and I've taken the manga route where most of the characters' first Pokémon aren't actually "starters" and instead are Pokémon raised alongside them. Kinda makes sense from an in-universe perspective that a parent or League official would want trainers to have experience raising Pokémon before setting out on their journeys or being handed a freshly hatched Bulbasaur/Squirtle/Charmander. Just a little wrinkle I wanted to add to this universe.

I just can't seem to keep my characters out of the hospital, now can I? It's a trend I've noticed, but while I love a good recovery arc, this one as you might be able to guess is going to be less "angsty" than some of my others. That's partially due to the rating, and also because that's just not the kind of story this is. The angst is going to be less about Ruby's physical recovery and more so the lingering mental/emotional effects on her and Weiss, and possibly Sakura and Yang. We'll see, but I just wanted to reassure readers that I haven't lost my way, but also that I'm going to treat this arc with the respect it deserves. I hope you enjoy.

All credit goes to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with this story and wonderful readers such as yourself. God bless)