RWBY Avenge Me
Chapter 3: Face your Past
"Ruby…we lost. We lost Beacon. We both lost Pyrrah. You lost your team and in a way…your sister. But you didn't cause any of that. You didn't drag us here you inspired us to move past our loss and fight for what's right!" – Jaune Arc
Comforting words can be the greatest medicine for a friends wounds….if they are willing to hear them that is.
It had been about a year since the fall of Beacon Academy. Thanks to efforts from various huntsmen and the Atlas Military, the Dragon Grimm statue was destroyed, finally ending the lure for Grimm to the now desolate school grounds that once served as both a source of guidance for youths, and a year ago their tombs.
Right now, Blake Belladonna felt her partner was encased in one. Yang had barely left her room all year round, not even to attend dinner with her father. It wasn't like she could blame the younger Xiao Long, having never experienced the loss of a sister before. Blake was grateful Taiyang lent her Ruby's room to use while she helped him care for Yang through her depression when he had to work. But Blake always slept on the couch instead; she couldn't ever bring herself to sleep in that room, the smell of her fallen leader plagued the room, bringing the cat Faunus immense dread, especially today of all days as she prayed to a photo of her after lighting a candle.
"Sorry for not doing this sooner Ruby...I just really hate this day." Blake whispered to the shrine she made.
It was the one year anniversary of Ruby's death, Blake still remembered earlier how badly Taiyang reacted this morning. He had been replaying the recording of the same news broadcast he recorded the day Vale fell, the day Ruby sacrificed her life to save the students and civilians there attacked by Grimm. She wished he would delete that recording, it would only serve to torment the father further, hence why she was doing this in private. His crying fits and smashing the coffee table in grief were bad enough, but he already started diving into drinking habits like Qrow every now and again, he didn't need a constant reminder in plain view. Blake herself felt tempted to sneak in a drink once a while, her friend upstairs health being the only deterrent, as well as another thought.
"Yang will probably be even worse off on this day than me." Blake thought with a grimace as her ears went flat on her head. She sighed as she quietly put out her candle and the shrine away in a nearby closet before discreetly entered the kitchen and grabbed last nights dinner encased in saran wrap, careful to avoid disrupting Mr. Xiao Long's conversation with professors Port and Oooblock. Yang hadn't eaten in 2 days, despite efforts from both her and Tai to make her. She had to try to force it down at this point, but as she prepared to go upstairs she heard the grown-ups speaking due to her sensitive hearing.
"And our dear friend Glynda managed to get appointed the new headmaster of Beacon!" Port announced. Blake's ears twitched from the hallway as she heard the news about her school.
"Beacon." Blake shuddered.
"I will destroy everything you love."
Blake gasped as she nearly dropped the plate she held before scrambling to catch it. Her breath hitched as Adam's face kept flashing in her sight, making her arms tremble and threatening to drop the plate again. Blake sighed as she gently placed it on the ground and sat in the hall to collect herself. Hearing about her ruined school, the place Yang lost an arm to Adam, the place they lost Ruby, and worse...
"The one place I once could call home with a smile." Blake thought as tears stung her eyes. The one time she let her guard down there, all hell broke loose. Grimm invaded, her former brethren tormented students with glee, and her team…her new family were forever broken. No news about that place could ease Blake, no matter how jovial the professors made it seem.
"We managed to helped Glynda clear out the remaining Grimm in Vale. Now all that's left is for construction to finally get under way. In about a year or so we might see the academy back up under her guidance." Ooblock said with glee.
"God help those kids then." Tai chuckled, he remembered how overbearing back in the old days Glynda could be towards her own team let alone Tai's team STRQ as a student aide. He could only imagine how the stress running an entire school after that invasion would put her through. Those kids would face nothing short of terror worse than any Ursa or Nevermore.
"Speaking of children…." Port began. Blake and Tai winced as they knew where the portly man was going with this due to his somber tone.
"How's miss Xiao Long doing these days my old friend." Ooblock followed up concerned. Tai sighed as he heard this question, it didn't have a good answer.
"Still the same. Blake's been a great help, but I'm starting to worry Yang won't ever come out of her room." Tai said with a grimace.
"Have you tried getting her a counselor? Glynda has had experience with-" Port began asking before Tai waved him off.
"Several. Each one she scares off with her remaining gauntlet. They all keep saying the same thing to her that sets her off." Tai groaned.
At this point, Blake couldn't stand to hear this anymore. She sat up and grabbed the plate of steak and mash potatoes and ran up the stairs, determined to clear her own head by helping her friend. She soon arrived at Yang's door, knocking on it gently.
"Yang? You awake?" Blake called. She received no reply. With a heavy sigh, she opened the door to Yang's room.
"Gah Yang. Did you forget to take a shower again?" Blake winced as she smelled BO the moment she opened the door before coming face to face with the source. But what sickened Blake the most wasn't that lack of hygiene, it was the long messy and unkempt blond hair Yang had outgrown hanging around the floor. It was almost Rapunzel size at this point, Yang hadn't done anything much except stay in bed this last year, rubbing the dirty tangled up hair gently. It was strangely one of the only times Blake saw Yang show anything other than the dead glare of her lifeless lilac eyes.
"Well anyway here's your favorite dinner again. *sigh* Please try to eat this for me and your dad, we're worried for you. Your all skin and bones at this point." Blake sadly pointed out. Yang was skinny and had lost some muscle mass, she was a shell of her former self, evident at how her eyes wouldn't even light up at the sight of a juicy piece of beef she'd normally scarf down in a minute back at Beacon. All she did was avert her gaze solemnly.
"Ru-Ruby." Yang whispered as she went back to rubbing her hair.
"I love your black hair Ruby, it's so cute!" Yang remembered saying to Ruby as kids.
"I think your hair is cooler sis! It's like a fire dragon!" Ruby's younger self had told her. It was the reason she never cut it, she just couldn't especially today of all days.
Blake sighed as she saw this, understanding what Yang was thinking about. It was something Yang confided in her once, hence why she was so worked up over keeping her hair safe. But Blake knew this was getting excessive. Yang was lost in the past, caught in a trance she had no chance to escape from, because she didn't want to.
Blake knew this couldn't last, or else Yang wouldn't. She decided to go into the bathroom after setting the plate down by her bedside.
"I know I'm going to regret this but…" Blake thought with a grimace as she emerged from the bathroom with a pair of scissors.
Tai and the others soon felt the ground shake as a massive tremor erupted.
"What's going on!?" Ooblock asked in fright. Tai groaned as he felt a surge of heat from upstairs raise the temperature of the room, instantly understanding what was happening.
"*Sigh* Fuck! Blake's trying to cut Yang's hair again." Tai said nonchalant. "This is why the doctors left, she blows up at them when they tell her to cut it and move on from Ruby." Tai explained. No sooner did he do so did the roof above them collapse, Blake and Yang, eyes filled with red and rage crashed through.
"J-JUST A LITTLE YANG! YOU NEED IT!" Blake yelled as she tried to force the scissors closer to Yang's scalp as the Xiao Long gripped her arm with her remaining one, her semblance making up the power difference her determination had caused her body.
"No." Yang whimpered, elbowing Blake in the chest a bit, but did little to deter the Faunus.
"Yang...please this is-" Tai sighed, both embarrassed by the sight his exasperated friends were witnessing by his daughter and saddened by the fact he knew why she was holding back the haircut despite needing it, before she even cut him off.
"NO! IT'S ALL I HAVE LEFT OF HER!" Yang roared, tears stinging her eyes.
Tai gave the pair a solemn look as he heard this. He knew Yang had taken Ruby's death even worse than he did with Summer's. He really wished Qrow were here again to help snap her out of her depression like he did with the father, but he was busy elsewhere so it was up to him.
"Girl's stop this now. Your behaving like babies, screaming and tussling over nonesene." Tai said sternly.
"I'm doing this for her own good sir." Blake retorted with a grunt, trying to draw the scissors closer before wincing when Yang resorted to biting her hand, making her drop them.
"OW!" Blake hissed as she rubbed her hand, red indents from Yang's teeth on them.
"Yeah? Well I hurt way worse. What about you? I haven't seen you cry once today. My baby's gone you don't even care do you!?" Yang spat with venom, causing Blake's eyes to widen as her hands trembled hearing that scathing accusation. Port dropped a glass as he heard that, his friend Ooblock and Tai glaring at Yang in shock hearing that.
"Yang." Tai said darkly. Before he could step up to intervene and admonish Yang for that remark, a shout from Blake startled him and the professors into silence.
"YOU THINK I DON'T MISS HER TOO!?" Blake roared back, startling Yang as her red eyes slowly dissolved back to lilac. Tears flooding Blake's were the cause as well. For once this entire year, Yang began to see the sadness Blake had been hiding from her.
"You didn't even notice how much I did! No one did! Tai and I had to be strong to take care of you after you began destroying yourself!" Blake cried.
"B-Blake maybe you shouldn't-" Tai tried to say as he saw his daughter lower her gaze a bit in sadness, but a bitter glare from Blake shut him down. He now knew she had to get this out of her system.
"I hate you! Really, you kept me from doing anything all year. I couldn't go with Jaune's team to avenge Ruby, I couldn't go home and cry to my mom and dad, worse, I had to watch you get to mope and cry all this time while I was helpless to comfort you. Anytime I tried you'd push me away, tell me to leave you, WELL WHEN'S IT MY TURN!?" Blake yelled. She soon dropped the scissors in a fury and ran out the door, crying and whimpering as she did so. Tai knew she was going to Ruby's grave again, the one place he knew she could do all that crying in peace. He wondered if his home was nothing more than a prison for her at this point, chaining her down and keeping her from recovering. As he eyed his daughter staring shell-shocked on the floor, he couldn't help but think that it was true.
"Sunny Dragon." Tai asked as he knelt down beside her. He saw her avert her gaze, but to his surprise, it wasn't out of sadness but to eye the scissors Blake had dropped.
"D-Daddy….how can I do it?" Yang stuttered.
"Do what sweetie? Help Blake?" Tai asked curious.
"No. Let her go….let Ruby go?" Yang asked as she rubbed her hair and eyed the scissors. Tai sighed sadly as he heard this.
"I can't tell you that sweetie. I don't think you should forget Ruby, but that doesn't mean she can be all your life's about anymore." Tai said sadly.
"B-But I can't lose her again!" Yang said with tears in her eyes as she clasped her hair.
"Is it worth losing Blake too?" Tai asked her. Her eyes widened as she heard this.
"I…I can't! I want both back!" Yang cried. Tai put his hands on her shoulders gently.
"Then try to take better care of yourself sweetie. This is the first time in months you've been out of that room. You're a mess on the outside clearly but it's not just you whose a mess on the inside, Blake is too. We all miss Ruby, but remembering her with sadness is rotting us all out." Tai said sternly. Yang recoiled as she heard this.
"That's why I can't cut it! It's all I have to remember her smile!" Yang protested.
"You still have Blake and me. We remember it too." Tai countered. Yang sighed as she relaxed herself into his chest. He ignored her greasy hair feel and BO to wrap her in the tightest hug he could to sooth her.
"But I drove Blake away. I failed her like Ruby." Yang whimpered.
"You didn't fail Ruby. She gave her life doing what's right. Now you need to do what's right before you fail Blake." Tai asserted.
Yang took a deep breath as she contemplated his words. She stood up and eyed the opened door, seeing the forest ahead of her in front of the house, the path to her mother and sisters grave. The thought of it made her nauseous, especially today. The mere smell of the outside world that claimed her sister this starry night made her sick to her stomach. It was why she hated going outside anymore. But she knew she had to or else risk losing Blake like Ruby too as she heard Beowulf howls out in the distance. Tai placed a firm hand on her shoulder, giving her an assuring nod as he steadily helped her walk towards the door.
"It's time to move on sweetie. Remember Ruby fondly, but don't let her drown your future as well." Tai warned her. Yang breathed heavily with each step after hearing this, feeling her heart about to rupture.
"Okay…for Blake…for Ruby." Yang said slowly as she reached the door. She took a single step outside, fighting the urge to hurl as she envisioned both girls smiles. "And for me." Yang said. As she took the step outside, standing firm like a scarecrow, she clenched her one fist firmly as she winced in pain.
"Okay…OKAY DAD!" Yang cried out.
"Stay strong Miss Xiao Long!" Ooblock yelled in support.
"Yes, your doing great child!" Port added. She whipped her head around, eyes glaring red as her hair started lighting up.
"Shut it before I loose what little cool I have left to do this!
Yang yelled in anger. Tai instantly lept for the scissors and cut the hair before the flames could pass to the floor and ignite the house. Yang grit her teeth before sighing in relief.
"Thanks. Was just about to ask you to do that. It was really heavy." Yang groaned and the adults laughed in response. When Yang felt the hair weight leave her, she felt her chest loosen a bit, yet still saw Ruby's smile in the back of her head, making it feel warm.
"I can do this. I can still love her but move on. It's what she would have wanted." Yang thought to herself before dashing alone into the forest, determined to find her other teammate and "sister".
Meanwhile in Mistral….
"Ruby Rose…Ruby Rose…Ruby Rose…" a voice echoed through the night.
Jaune sleeping face winced as he rolled in his sleeping bag hearing his girlfriends name on repeat, struggling to sleep. His face was sweating as he bit his lower lip, trying to force himself awake from the nightmare plaguing his mind.
He saw the day he met Pyrrha in the hospital, crying into hands after the battle of Beacon. On her lap was Crescent Rose, his friend Ruby's weapon.
"P-Pyrrah? What happened? Why do you have-" Jaune had asked her. Pyrrha had then told him how it was all that was left of their friend, now a smoldering pile of ashes thanks to Cinder. Jaune was in complete shock at the news of his best friend's death. She seemed so powerful, so invincible like Pyrrha. She always lent him a shoulder to lean on when he was down in the dumps about his own inadequacy.
"It's all my fault Jaune! I should have done something to save her! Ruby Rose is dead because of me!" Pyrrha had cried out in guilt. Jaune gasped as he heard this.
"You have to save her!" I…I told her that. It was me…I'm the one who sent her to her doom." Jaune thought with a grimace. He had called Weiss and Ruby and begged them to help Pyrrah.
"We'll bring her back I promise!" Ruby had told him. And now look what happened. Because he had been so weak and useless, Ruby had given her life to fulfill her promise to him, a promise to do his duty to his partner in his stead. Suddenly the world around him shook as the guilt overwhelmed him, made worse by the image of Pyrrha suddenly ceasing its crying and glared at him with a bitter frown while clutching the weapon.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT RUBY DIED!" Pyrrah's illusion cried.
"No." Jaune cried softly.
"SHE'S GONE BECAUSE OF YOU! YOU KILLED RUBY ROSE!" Pyrrah's yell echoed as Jaune screamed in pain.
"Jaune!" Nora cried out to him as she shook him awake. He gasped for air as he panted in fright from that nightmare. Ren patted his back as he saw his teammates distress.
"Easy Jaune. I know it wasn't pleasant but Nora had to shake you awake. You were having a nasty nightmare." Ren explained solemnly.
"W-Where am I?" Jaune cried out softly.
"Still in Mistral. Pyrrha said we're only a couple days away from Haven, but you said we should camp the night to rest." Ren clarified.
"Pyrrha? Wait…where is she?" Jaune asked as he gathered his thought.
"I don't know. Probably out taking a leak. She took her weapons so she should be fine." Nora surmised as she eyed the empty sleeping bag belonging to her. Jaune grabbed his knees as he saw this, Nora and Ren averting their gaze as well awkwardly. Pyrrha had been rather distant from them all, in fact, since Beacon fell and that fight with Yang she had been downright cold and ruthless.
"Yeah…she's definitely out there killing something right now." Ren said darkly.
"Why did she change so badly? She barely talks to us now and just goes off on her own all the time doing who knows what after each mission. She barely sleeps at all even after she killed 40 Beowolf's last week. When's it going to be enough for her?" Nora complained.
"It's my fault." Jaune clarified to their surprise.
"How so?" Ren inquired. Before Jaune could explain he heard a faint call in the distance, one that sounded so familiar. His eyes widened as he recognized the squeaky voice.
"Ruby!?" Jaune cried out as he ran off towards the voice. Ren and Nora's eyes widened in shock as they heard this declaration.
"Ruby!? But she's dead how?!" They both thought as they forced themselves up and grabbed their weapons, plus Jaune as the Arc had forgotten them in his haste, and ran off after him in the woods.
All 3 soon stopped dead in their tracks as they met the source of Ruby's voice that touched them after going without it for so long. They saw a fresh new clearing in the woods, tree stumps and piled up tree logs around them as they saw Pyrrha swinging Crescent Rose. It seemed graceful at first, her performing a left swing before it transitioned into an uppercut slash before her hand slipped and the curved blade hit her in the face, chipping her aura as she dropped it.
"Now remember Pyrrha, your pinky finger's movement is the key to a safe transition when slashing." Ruby had said. They eyed the source to be Pyrrha's scroll on a log, showcasing a video with the sweet teenager smiling warmly on the screen.
"Gah! It would have helped to hear that 10 seconds ago!" Pyrrha groaned as she grabbed the scroll and rewinded it.
"Okay! Ruby Rose here, and welcome Pyrrha to another lesson on how to use a scythe!" Ruby said on the screen. Pyrrah's frustrated glare soon grew solemn as she pressed the rewind button again.
"Ruby Rose here." The video said again. Jaune and the others watched her repeat this action. Each time they heard Ruby's voice again, it brought a pain to their chest, Nora even crying as she struggled not to speak and alert Pyrrha to their presence. They knew this wasn't their place to be.
"So Pyrrah's been learning to use Crescent Rose all this time…to remember Ruby?" Jaune whispered to Ren who nodded.
"I remember her asking Ruby about learning back at Beacon, but we were all so busy with missions at the time she couldn't train her personally. I guess she sent her video's to compensate." Ren surmised.
Nora wiped her tears as she began hearing Pyrrha sobbing as well as she rewinded the scroll one more time.…or did she?
"And that concludes Ruby Roses final lesson!" Ruby said with glee. JNR's eyes widened as they realized Pyrrha fast forward instead, but why?
"So Pyrrha listen….I get your scared for your team." Ruby said on the scroll solemnly. JNR eyed each other a bit as they heard this, never once expecting Pyrrha would think about such a thing, considering her normal pride and strength.
"Just remember this. My teachings alone won't save them or you. Like my Uncle Qrow once said, the true key to using the scythe is the drive behind learning. For me it was to become a powerful huntress like my mom…and like you. I always looked up to you since we became friends. You had all the confidence and skill I looked for in myself. I was thrilled you decided to ask me for these videos Pyrrha. I felt like I was finally a true rival and a true friend for you. That I could be a strong huntress like my uncle or mom by helping someone in need. Ruby Rose will always help her friends, she'll always help you and your team Pyrrha, even if it kills her, I promise." Ruby said firmly.
All of JNPR winced as they heard those truthful words, wishing deep down it didn't come to pass. As the night dragged on, JNR returned to their camp sight, the howls of Grimm in the distance did little to bring their bad mood down further as they failed to sleep the night away after that. Pyrrha they heard cried herself to sleep in her sleeping bag, only hearing muttering of the words they were all thinking.
"I wish it were me."
Little did they know, above them on a cliffside to the mountain nearby, Qrow Branwen was busy drinking his flask as he eyed the group solemnly. His sword Harbringer was stabbed into the neck of a downed Ursa that soon became ash. He had been tailing the group all this time to keep most of the Grimm off them for training purposes. He knew it was what Ruby would have wanted for them, a chance.
"You kids aren't making it easy though." Qrow groaned. The kids were spewing negativity like a geyser these days, making this Ursa the 50th Grimm he killed today at least.
The Next Day
Pyrrha had surprised everyone after they passed through the forest by demanding they stop at a Weaponsmith's store. The suggestion wasn't surprising actually, they needed more armor and ammunition for the battle of their lives ahead in Haven Academy. They didn't travel a year on foot for training purposes for nothing. They had to get stronger to avenge Ruby after all. Qrow told them in a year that the same group that attacked Beacon would attack Haven, meaning Cinder was likely to be there. Jaune looked proudly at his team as they all flexed their new weapons aside from Pyrrha, who impatiently stared at the door waiting for the smith to finish.
"Alrighty! Shiny new Armor for me! New Dust bullets for Ren, a faster Grenade Launcher for Nora-" Jaune began announcing before Nora shot a grenade into the sky outside.
"With 5 extra rounds now WHOOOPIE!" Nora cried out and Ren slapped his forehead in exasperation.
"Great! Even more kabooms and ears popping for us now." Ren groaned sarcastically and Jaune chuckled.
"Say Pyrrha." Jaune asked her and she glanced at him.
"What?" She asked nonchalant. Jaune's eyes twitched a bit at her tone. She hadn't been all lovey dovey with him since Beacon fell, not that he could blame her considering the mission, but he still couldn't help but want them to have back some more of the pleasantries of their past relationship at least. He missed her smile.
"A-Are you excited for whatever it is your having the smith do?" He asked nervously, careful not to spoil her mood further. To his surprise, she gave him a brief smile and shoulder shrug before she eyed the door again impatiently.
"I will be if he just hurries up. I know we needed ammunition, but we got to cut through Kuroyuri at this rate to make up for lost time." Pyrrha said annoyed. Ren recoiled a bit hearing his old hometown again. Nora gulped as she heard this as well.
"That place…that night." Nora thought with a grimace.
"Mom…Dad" Ren thought with a chill running down his spine. But the couple soon both thought the same thing that made them hope the smith would finish sooner.
"That monster!"
Ren and Nora felt their blood chill as they remembered that beast that ruined their childhood and home.
"Um guys?" Nora sheepishly asked.
"Not now Nora! I need my weapon before we go blast those Grimm so chill!" Pyrrha said annoyed, making Ren and Nora wince. They were caught off-guard by Pyrrah's yell. Usually she didn't brush them off like that. There panic began to escalate as time went on after that, as the risk grew greater. They were about to grab Jaune and Pyrrha and high tail it out of the workshop to hopefully avoid going back there before the door suddenly opened at last.
"Miss Nikos…it sure as hell wasn't easy but-" The gruff looking Ox Faunus said as he laid out her new weapon, making her eyes glistened. JNR's eyes did the same as well as they soon watered at what they saw. Pyrrha's spear Miló now had two curved red blades, one on each side folded down making it look like a weird trident.
"Pyrrha…is that?" Jaune asked slowly and she nodded.
"He did it. You really did it!" Pyrrha said with glee to Jaune then the smith who nodded with a smile.
"It sure as hell took me a while. Combining that scythe with this Spear. So, any thoughts to a new name for your new weapon Miss Nikos?" The smith asked her.
"I have been thinking. This will be a constant reminder of my loss, but also of my mission and my friend. It will be my strength and my pain." Pyrrha said as she rubbed her tearful eyes. JNR smiled at her, this being the first time in months they saw her smile or cry for a long time. Despite being uneasy seeing Ruby's weapon merged with Pyrrah's they knew she needed this so kept silent.
"Thorn Rose. That's what I'll name you." Pyrrha said as she picked up the trident. Her hand felt like it was burning as she did so. She knew this would anger Ruby's family, and get her another beating from Yang, but that was fine. She couldn't master Ruby's weapon; it wasn't really hers. But now she felt a piece of her could always serve to strengthen her, this weapons old master wouldn't die in vain, it would make sure of it as it protected its new one and her allies from evil.
"It's what you would do Ruby. It's what a true huntress like you would do. Please lend me your aide again." Pyrrha thought as she gave her team a stern but confident glare.
"Lets get to Haven and finish this then." Pyrrha said firmly and they nodded.
"For Ruby!" They all said as they paid the smith and left. Ren hugged Nora though as they watched Jaune and Pyrrha go ahead of them. Kuroyuri was on the way, and knowing that stabbed their hearts despite their earlier drive. It wasn't going to be easy for them, even for Ruby's sake, facing that demon…and their inner ones.
Author Notes
Next time, Weiss will get some screentime I promise. Yang finally begins to move forward and will need to help Blake do so too, especially as a threat arises for the faunus. Speaking of threats, will Pyrrah's new attitude threaten her team as they face a monster from Ren and Nora's past? One thing's for sure, were getting more of that new spear scythe trident weapon Thorn Rose in chapter 4: For Myself!