KS: Welp, this is it. The last chapter of this little fic of mine. I hope those who have been reading up to this point enjoyed it and look forward to my current and future projects. Now, time to conclude this.
Days turned to weeks. Weeks turned to months. And soon enough, those months gave way to a full year.
Yang actually took that long to deliberate on whether or not to take Bai Xu up on her offer. A monk with knowledge in psychiatry was unheard of, in her opinion. The two were as about as different as oil and water. At what point does a monk even bother with psychiatry.
"I don't think any amount of psychiatry will do me any good," she muttered, leaning against the wall. "To call my mind a mess would be degrading to other messes."
As Yang continued to deliberate over the offer she was given a literal year ago, two other monks walked by, talking with each other.
"Never in my life have I felt liberated," one of them said. "It just felt so good getting it all out in the open."
"I agree," the second monk replied. "I've been carrying so much baggage since I came here. But now, thanks to Bai Xu, a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders."
"She's such a great listener. I was worried that I would be trauma dumping, but she responded to everything I said. She's a miracle worker."
"I feel like I can tell her about all of my troubles and she has the perfect reply. It's incredible."
They continued talking as they walked, leaving Yang rather curious, but still mildly skeptical. Of course, the skepticism is fueled by her ever-present self-loathing.
"There's no way it can be that effective," she said to herself. "Besides, it's just those two. It's not like she's popular with everyone."
Yang was immediately proven wrong.
She had overheard wonders about Bai Xu's sessions from other monks, who were very enthusiastic about sharing their experiences.
She heard about them during lunch.
"I felt like hot garbage when I first came here, but after speaking with Bai Xu, I've learned to love myself."
She heard about them while sweeping around the temple.
"Thanks to Bai Xu, I know it's okay to make time for myself."
She's even heard them whisper about it during afternoon meditation. Oddly enough, she didn't suffer a panic attack at that point in time.
"Bai Xu taught me how to better manage myself. I owe her a lot."
Hearing those accounts and more made Yang intrigued. The monks made her out to be some kind of miracle worker. All they did was tell her about their problems, she offered responses and they came out of it looking like they can take on anything.
"Maybe I should give it a shot."
After asking some of the other monks, Yang made her way over to Bai Xu's room. She stood at the wooden door, gathering what little resolve she hadn't discarded earlier.
"Here goes everything."
She reached out and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Recognizing the voice, Yang opened the door and walked into the room. It was rather plain, with only a bed and a few plants seen hanging on the ceiling. She saw Bai Xu sitting on a stool in front of another one, gesturing Yang to sit in front of her.
"Nice of you to arrive, Yang," she said with a smile. "Take a seat."
Yang wordlessly complied and walked over to the adjacent stool. She looked into Bai Xu's eyes, feeling some kind of warm from staring at her.
"Go ahead," Bai Xu said.
Yang blinked. "Just like that?"
"This is how I start sessions with the other monks," Bai Xu replied honestly. "I allow them to talk about troubles they have and I give out a response that best suits them."
"And that's what's got them worshipping the ground you walk on?" Yang asked skeptically.
Bai Xu tittered. "I wouldn't go that far, but they do speak highly of me. Hopefully, you'll be among the admirers I currently have."
Yang sighed. She was already in the room with the woman, and after hearing positive feedback from the other monks, she might as well get it over with. If she was being honest, she had doubts any words Bai Xu had to offer could bring any spark to her life. Regardless, she may as well humor her.
"Okay, it's like this: we showed up in Atlas to assist the general. We hid some things from him and didn't trust him enough to share them. But at the same time... I hid something major from everyone else at the same time, and was the most insistent that we couldn't trust them. Once everyone found out, I was on their collective shit list for quite some time. And my attempts to make things right actually made things much worse."
Bai Xu said nothing, but gave a slight nod, prompting Yang to continue. The former blonde had a pained expression when she spoke.
"I revealed sensitive details about a project the general was working on to people who didn't share his interests. I lost brownie points with everyone. And I insulted my teammate in an argument we had during that time. Nobody wanted anything to do with me anymore," she said sadly. "And then I found out that the people I leaked the info to planned to use it as leverage against the general. So I beat them up and dragged them over to him in an attempt to get back in everyone's good graces. And I did... for a while. Truth be told, everyone still gave me the side eye, as if expecting me to screw up at the last moment. And wouldn't you know it, I did."
Bai Xu remained silent as Yang went on.
"I was assigned to a post in case the Grimm invaded. I was given explicit orders not to move from it under any circumstances. And so I waited there for hours and hours and hours. Nothing happened. Nothing did happen. I thought to take a nap, then I heard someone calling out to me. Some girl in a hoodie had a desperate look in her eyes, telling me she needed help. She said that she lost something important to her and that everyone else was too busy or didn't care. I wanted to tell her to ask someone else, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Thus, against my better judgment, I decided to help her. We searched around the streets and the alleyways until we finally found what she was looking for. It was a large pearl with a snake wrapped around it. The girl thanked me over and over for helping her find it, and I felt great... and then the sirens rang out."
More silence from Bai Xu. Letting out a heavy sigh, Yang continued.
"The Grimm came in droves. They caught everyone off guard. A lot of people lost their lives... because the lookout didn't do their one job."
Yang finally let the tears fall as she sobbed lightly.
"It's all my fault. So many people died because I was fooling around. I'm the absolute worst."
Yang buried her face in her hand as she continued to sob. As she did, she felt Bai Xu wrap her arms around her.
"Yang, I want you to know something very important. What happened was very unfortunate and you have my full sympathy. But know that you were not entirely to blame for the tragedy. The military personnel and other huntsmen could have offered their assistance, but the fact that they put you as the sole lookout when they could have put more people on the job shows that they either wanted you out of the way or no longer had faith in your abilities. But one thing is certain: you managed to fulfill the most important aspect that any huntress is supposed to adhere by: helping out the people for whatever they need."
Hearing that made Yang pause her sobbing. What Bai Xu said made a lot of sense. A huntress' sole purpose was to defend and assist the general populace by whatever means necessary. It wasn't about being a hero slaying monsters. It all came down to looking out for the little people. And by assisting that girl with finding the girl, she had honestly fulfilled that purpose.
And yet, she wasn't entirely sure.
She broke from the hug and looked at Bai Xu, her face streaked with tears.
"Do you truly believe that?"
Bai Xu smiled at her.
"I think you know the answer."
Yang did know the answer. She knew it for a long time. All she had to do was dispel the black clouds of doubt and self-hatred that had plagued her for so long.
Talking with Bai Xu did wonders for Yang's health, both physical and mental. The other monks noticed immediately and were honestly surprised.
She participated in the morning and evening meditation without a single panic attack. Even more, she was more proactive in her work around the temple. She tended to the crops, sweeped the halls like nobody's business and even did some meditating of her own. It was a true contrast from when she first arrived at the temple, and it shows.
Yang sat on the rock and stared at the mountains like she did before. But this time, she had a more optimistic look in her eyes, as if she was looking forward to what her future entailed.
"I see you've regained the spark in your eyes."
Yang turned around to see the lama looking at her with a warm smile.
"Guess I needed help," Yang admitted with a shrug. "A lot of it, now that I'm looking back on it."
"And I am grateful you had the courage to seek it," the lama replied. "Though to be perfectly honest, I always had faith that you would do it eventually."
Yang turned her gaze back to the mountains, lightly smiling as she did so.
"I'm glad I went through with it. Otherwise, who knows how long I would be brooding over what happened in the past," she said.
"Possibly more than humanely possible," the lama replied in a joking tone. "In any event, I'm more than pleased that you are slowly beginning to see the lighter side of things."
"Makes two of us," Yang replied.
The lama smiled and walked off, leaving Yang to her thoughts. She had high hopes for her future.
"Perhaps she can be the one," she said.
The monks gathered in the main hall, where the lama stood before them. While she still had her serene expression, there was an air of seriousness.
"As you all are fully aware, the Grey Lotus was founded to allow those who are suffering from inner turmoil a place of respite and give them the strength to overcome it. However, what many of you may not know is that this order serves another purpose. Once we have cleansed ourselves of our doubts and fears, we travel across Remnant, passing on the wisdom we ourselves have learned. This is what our sacred order stands for."
Yang was honestly surprised when she heard of this, as were some of the fledging monks. The senior monks had unchanged expressions, as if they have heard it before.
"And now, on this blessed day, one of you will be selected to partake in a pilgrimage, walking the land and bringing enlightenment and help those find inner peace like yourselves have," the lama continued.
Everyone was silent, wondering who would be the one that will be taking the pilgrimage.
The lama gave a warm smile before she spoke.
"And the one who will be embarking on this journey is..."
The silence hung in the air for a few seconds.
"Yang Xiao Long."
The person in question gasped in surprise as all eyes fell on her. She couldn't believe what she heard.
"Me?"
The lama stared at her, her golden eyes staring into Yang's violet eyes.
"Come forward, my child."
Yang was still surprised by this, but she complied and walked forward. She approached the lama, still maintaining eye contact.
"I'm certain you are surprised by this," she said. "Just know that I have given this a lot of thought. And it is with my unbiased belief that you are the most suited for this task."
"I... I don't know what I should say," Yang replied, still reeling from the shock.
The lama chuckled. "Many have said as such, as will many others before you. But I have never erred in my judgment when I have selected a pilgrim."
Yang found herself chuckling dryly. "Must've saw something special in me if I was picked, huh?"
"In a way," the lama admitted. "And one of the monks has a gift for you before you set off. You may come, now."
Lama looked behind Yang, and the latter turned around. She saw Bai Xu walking towards her, holding something wrapped in a blanket.
"For you," the snake faunus said, handing her the wrapped object. "For being one of my best patient."
Yang was curious, then used her hand to unwrap the object with Bai Xu's help. It was prosthetic arm made entirely of jade with golden dragon decals. Yang was amazed at the detail. But what really caught her attention was what was embedded in the palm.
A familiar pearl with a snake wrapped around it.
She widened her eyes at that one detail, then looked at Bai Xu, who merely smiled.
"Consider this my sign of gratitude for helping me in Atlas all those years ago."
Yang couldn't help but shed tears of joy, smiling all the while. Perhaps there was light in the darkness, after all.
Now dressed in a new set of robes along with a conical straw hat, Yang was more than ready for her pilgrimage. She stood at the temple's entrance in front of the lama and Bai Xu.
"I can tell your more than ready for this," the lama said.
"Sure am," Yang said in a tone that showed the confidence she had regained. "I'm far from fully healed inside, but I'm going to take the necessary steps to fully regain the fire."
Bai Xu clapped hands together and smiled. "I'm certain it will be a great fire, one that will burn away all impurities."
Yang allowed her snort herself in amusement.
"I believe we have chatted enough," the lama said. "Go forth and show others the way, Seiryu."
Yang tipped her hat at her alias, picked up a walking stick and headed off on her journey. The lama and Bai Xu watch as she walked away.
"I have faith that she will regain her path," the lama said.
"As do I," Bai Xu agreed.
Yang walked down the stairs and on the dirt path. Every step she took raised her confidence higher and higher.
"I'm ready for whatever comes my way," she said with confidence.
A Dead Flame: End
KS: And there you have it. Yang has out on a journey and has a new arm to go with it. Who knows what lies ahead of her in the future? Well... (chuckles) I sure do, because I'm making a sequel to this. And, it'll be (sort of) crossing over with a certain franchise. Though I won't say which one it is. Feel free to make guesses, but I'll leave a hint: Yang will have to 'combine' her efforts in order to survive the ordeal she's about to face. That's all I'm gonna give you, so have fun spectulating. I might or might be start it soon, as I have other works to get to, but I will be working on it. Also, before I forget, Yang's new alias has the Japanese kanji for "pure" and "dragon", which will have some major signifigance in the story I will be working on in the future. Until then, fave, follow, review and I'll see you when I see you. Peace.