Ever since Raider told them they were going to show her discussion with Blake, Yang has been silently dreading every second that's passed. Blake was doing her best to try and console the girl, but the only way it would end is to get the conversation over with. The most Yang could do herself was to think of the calm after the storm.
Pyrrha was having her own turmoil, she wanted to tell Jaune about her feelings, but she just wasn't ready. She understood she needed to give him some kind of answer, but this isn't something you dance around. She needed to tell him by the end of them showing the end of the night of the dance. Pyrrha had a feeling that would be the next episode.
After that, everything will become a surprise to them, it's the future, they don't know what will happen.
(Volume 2 Intro)
Ruby sadly sits depressed at one of the dance tables, that is until Weiss comes slamming two clothes on the table, asking her to pick one. Sliding them closer Ruby just looks confused, commenting on how they are both the same color.
"Seriously, how can you tell?" Ruby asks her partner, still next to her sister.
Weiss scoffs as if it were obvious, "One is a pearl white, it's more gray in tone but not by much. The other is a snowy color, its tint is more on the side of faded blue shade." Ruby, along with others, didn't catch a single thing she just said.
"These are Beacon students, all are around the ages of 17-22, sorry to burst your bubble, but not a lot of them care about the tones of a tablecloth," Yang put it simply. Weiss hmphed to herself and turned away, mumbling to herself. The closer people could catch her saying something about 'uncultured' and 'no taste'.
Old habits die hard I guess, Ruby thought to herself as she watched her partner.
Weiss sighed to herself as she bunched the clothes in her hand, "I don't even know why I asked!" Weiss took her stuff and left, and Ruby went right back to moping over Blake.
In comes Yang, carrying a large speaker all by herself, and walking just fine.
Some stared wide eyed at the screen as they witnessed this display of strength. Yang only looked at herself with pride.
Yang set the speaker down, the weight causing the table to lift into the air, bringing Ruby with it. But Ruby was unperturbed, staying in the same position.
If I wasn't so worried about Blake I would have had a completely different reaction to that.
"So, have you picked out a dress yet?" Yang asked her sister, unbothered as she wiped her hands together. Ruby's response was telling her sister who cares about the dance if Blake isn't even going to be there. "Oh, don't worry, she's going."
Yang turns towards Weiss, who is offscreen, a look of disbelief on her face. "Weiss! I thought we agreed, no doilies!"
"If I don't get doilies, you don't get fog machines!" Weiss marched over, putting a finger in Yang's face.
It was the most style clashing dance that ever existed, but it actually managed to work out with one another. Most things were so opposite they worked really well together.
The sound of a door opening could be heard, Yang and Weiss turned to see Sun and Neptune walk into the building. "Your dance is gonna have fog machines?" Neptune asked. Weiss's attitude did a complete 180, she was a lot more polite as she spoke with Neptune, telling him they were discussing the subject. "That's pretty cool."
"You ladies all excited for dress up?" Sun asked the group, pointing finger guns in their direction.
"Pfft yeah right," Ruby's enthusiasm for wearing a dress is very apparent.
"Laugh all you want, I'll be turning heads tomorrow night." Yang's voice and stance sang confidence.
"What are you two wearing?" Weiss asks the two boys.
Sun makes it obvious that his normal attire is what he'll be wearing. Neptune places a hand in front of Sun's face, telling them to ignore him, for he knows not what he says.
"Hey, I might have moved to Mistral, but I grew up in Vacuo. It's not exactly a shirt and tie kind of place." Sun defends himself as he pushes Neptune out of the way as he explains.
"Yeah, we could tell," Yang's voice was sarcastic as she spoke. Pointing out the obvious just by looking at his clothes.
"Hey, where I'm from, people don't wear long sleeve shirts or puffy coats."
Weiss, Yang, and Ruby's faces were all deadpan, Yang telling Sun that they've noticed this. "So, uh, what does Blake think of all this? Is she still being all, y'know, Blakey?"
"Is that going to be some kind of new adjective you all create?"
"Nah, we don't plan on making it a word, but you do realize I'll be using that more, right?" Yang tells Blake, said girl bringing her head into her hands.
Weiss tells him it's obvious. "I still can't think of a way to change her mind." Ruby is still sulking on what to do about Blake's attitude.
"Guys, trust me, Blake will be at the dance tomorrow." Yang reassures her friends with determination as she walks off.
"And you were so sure of yourself."
"It worked didn't it?" Yang looks towards Blake with a smirk, the girl in question playfully rolled her eyes, this only succeeded in making the smile bigger.
And she was so sad before the episode started, is she trying to hide her pain? Sun wondered as he stared at the interaction, but he also felt a tad envious as he watched as well.
In the library Blake is seen on a computer, looking through it. Out of nowhere a red dot appears on the green screen in front of her, moving up and down to gain her attention.
"Out of all ways you decided to gain my attention."
"It worked…right?" Yang was a lot more hesitant to finish, seeing the scowl on Blake's face as she stared at her. And just a second ago they were joking and having fun with each other.
Blake's annoyance is clear, and she turns around as the red dot descends onto her hand and down her arm. She sees nothing out of the ordinary and turns back to the screen, typing away at its keyboard.
The red dot appears once more before going as quickly as it came. Blake's ire continues to grow, but she doesn't let it get to her as she focuses back on the screen.
The red dot returns, moving back and forth. Blake slams her fists on the table, finally having had enough as she stands up and follows the red dot on the floor.
The dot moves across the floor, turning the corner of a bookshelf. As she stares at it on the ground, Yang appears with a laser pointer in hand. Blake looks up, startled to see her there. "Hello~!" Yang declares with an enthusiastic hand wave, while Blake tries to ask her what she's doing, but gets cut off. "We need to talk," All jokes gone, Yang grabs Blake's wrist and hauls her to another room.
"Honestly, I shouldn't have expected any other way." Weiss sighed, wondering what she was even thinking.
Yang wasn't planning on repeating the same thing a third time, but she was pretty sure she didn't have to. The others could just tell what she was thinking.
Ren has just stepped out of the shower, one his shower bottles in hand.
Yang quickly covered her sister's eyes, much to the girl's annoyance. "This is not something we need to see!" Weiss yelled with her face sporting red.
The one who was embarrassed the most was poor Ren, he didn't expect to be freely exposed like this.
"Well, this is a bit awkward," Jaune couldn't help but comment. Ren turned and gave him a look that said 'Ya think?'
Jaune comes out of nowhere, catching Ren by surprise. "We need to talk," Jaune takes the boy's wrist and drags him. The resemblance is the same to how Yang hauled Blake. The bottle that was once in Ren's hand, spins in the air until it falls to the floor.
"That must have been an on purpose kind of situation. They did the same thing as when you grabbed me by the wrist."
"Ren, I'm just gonna come out and say it, you are one of my best friends. These past few months I feel like we've really bonded, even though you don't say much. I mean, you're really quiet, to be perfectly honest I don't know that much about you personally, but darn it I consider you to be the brother I never had!" The camera kept slowly zooming out as Jaune vented with Ren on his bed, who still didn't have any clothes on.
"And I you," Ren felt like he had to say something in this awkward situation. He just wanted to put his clothes back on.
"Which is why I wanted to get your advice on…girls." Ren parroted the last word when he heard Jaune finish. "I just, don't know how to, um, girls-" While Jaune rambled Ren reached out to his own outfit in the closet.
"Jaune…" Jaune didn't need to hear what Pyrrha was going to say, he already knew. Yes, it would have been a much better idea to have let Ren put his clothes back on before he decided to drag Ren into the conversation. And seeing it now he looked really uncomfortable.
"I get it Pyrrha." Pyrrha closed her mouth as she watched Jaune let out a small breath.
"I guess what I'm asking is, well, how did you and Nora, y'know-" Ren fumbled with a response to that question. The sound of someone clearing their throat made itself known; turns out it was Nora with a pair of headphones around her neck, she chuckled nervously, clarifying her and Ren weren't actually 'together together'.
"Nora, I said headphones on!" Jaune yells, pointing a finger in her direction. Just as quickly Nora puts them back around her ears.
"Nora was in the room too? Jaune you're really bad at the term of privacy. And timing." Jaune let out a small exhale, not denying Yang's accusations.
Ren just comes out and asks Jaune what this is all about. Jaune lets out a breath, "It's Weiss, I'm completely head over heels for her and she won't even give me a chance-"
Watching it now it was really obvious, but they're going to show this? Oh come on! How bad can my luck be?
"She's cold, but she's also incredible. She's smart, and graceful, and talented, I mea, have you heard her sing? I just wish she'd take me seriously, y'know? I-I wish I could tell her how I feel without messing it all up."
"Then do it," Everyone looks up to see it was Pyrrha who was encouraging him, standing in the doorway of the room. Jaune is confused on what she's implying, "Tell her exactly what you just said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick up lines, just…be honest."
I think that last bit is some advice you should take yourself.
Pyrrha didn't have to look up to know it was Raider speaking to her, albeit more privately, but a little bit invasive. She's right, it's better to be honest and straight with Jaune, than to keep him in the dark. But, now isn't the most appropriate time, the reason is obvious.
Jaune plans to object, but Pyrrha cuts him off, "Jaune, you can't get it wrong if it's the truth." Jaune gives Pyrrha a thankful smile, which she returns. Jaune gets up from the bed with renewed determination, thanking her, and thanking Ren for the talk, Jaune runs out of the room, the door leaving a thud as it closed.
Pyrrha watches him go, staring before walking to the other side of the room. "Practice what you preach Pyrrha," Nora sighs as she watches Pyrrha go over to her desk.
"Wait…"
The whole room stopped dead, especially Pyrrha, who could feel Jaune freeze up next to her. Welp, this is it, this was the moment.
"Pyrrha, you…" Pyrrha looking away from Jaune with a tiny nod was confirmation enough. "Oh…" Jaune didn't know what to say, really he didn't.
Raider must have gestured for everyone to vacay the room, because everyone but them got up from their seats and went to their own rooms down the other hall. Honestly, Jaune was thankful, he couldn't imagine going through this moment with a bunch of eyes on him.
"So, you… you like me?"
Pyrrha nodded once more, not having the capability to form words at the moment.
"My only question is…why?"
"Why?" Pyrrha wasn't understanding why he was asking the question.
"Yeah, why like me? I mean, I'm not all that great. I'm especially not that deserving or worthy to have someone as great as you like me." Pyrrha was at a loss for words. Is that what he thought of himself? That he was unworthy of being loved by someone!? In a different time Pyrrha would have loved to give those people a good thrashing for making Jaune think as such.
"Jaune…" Jaune didn't notice he was looking down. Hearing her voice he raised his head. "I like you because you're an incredible person. You're sweet, you're kind, understanding, considerate, I could go on for hours. But most of all, I love how you see people. You don't see them for what they are, you see them for who they are. When you first met me, you didn't have a clue of who I was."
"Sorry about-"
"No! Please, don't be sorry. You saw me as a person, not some famous figure. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to make genuine friends? To not have people who would use only my status to get their way?"
Now Jaune was the one who was silent, who didn't have anything to say. But, there was thought that passed his mind, and it was as if Pyrrha could read his mind. "I understand your feelings for Weiss. But, I'd rather just stay and be your friend, than to be nothing at all."
"Pyrrha, I'm sorry."
"No, Jaune, you should never apologize for your feelings. Ever."
"And right now is the reason why I'm wondering how someone as amazing as you could have feelings for a normal guy like me."
"Because I love you for who you are, Jaune." She spoke his name with such a soft tone, Jaune couldn't help but shed a few tears with her.
Jaune knew realistically him and Weiss weren't ever going to happen, and could, surprisingly, see the way she would act around Ruby. But, feelings are hard to get rid of, and Pyrrha shouldn't be with a man who dates after hearing one confession. That's just a horrible thing to do on anyone's part. Jaune didn't want to screw up two good friendships with a dumb mistake.
It pained Jaune that he was the one hurting Pyrrha, but Jaune couldn't sweep his recent bubbling feelings for Pyrrha under the rug.
"Pyrrha, I can't deny these past few weeks there's been something there between us, and how I feel about you. But, now isn't a good time to explore this developing thing between us. I still need to get my head sorted and figured out with you and Weiss, so, it might be bad to ask this of you, but…will you wait for me?"
Pyrrha needed to wipe the tears that were threatening to overflow, "Yes." She needn't say anything more, Pyrrha and Jaune brought themselves together for a tight hug.
Pyrrha will await the day Jaune is ready.
Jaune and Pyrrha held the hug for a few more moments before separating. And, not even a few seconds later everyone came back into the room, all of them knew better than to ask how the conversation went. That was their own business.
Not saying a single word, the episode started up again.
Pyrrha just stood by the desk, not doing anything.
"Yang, if you're going to tell me to stop, you may as well just save your breath." In a lecture hall Yang sat on the desk with her legs crossed, Blake was standing, pacing in front of her.
Not even a minute after Jaune and Pyrrha's talk. Yang slightly frowned, but she was shocked when she felt a hand on her own. Looking over to see it was Blake's, the action calming her down a little bit.
"I don't want you to stop, I want you to slow down." Yang replied calmly, not moving an inch from her spot on the desk.
"We don't have the luxury to slow down." Blake stopped for a second as she spoke, but once she was done she went right back to pacing.
"It's not a luxury, it's a necessity."
"The necessity is stopping Torchwick!"
"And we're going to, but first you have to sit down and listen to what I have to say." Yang pats the space in front of her on the desk. Blake looks to the door, finally complying to Yang's wishes.
"Ruby and I grew up in Patch, an island just outside the coast of Vale. Our parents were huntsmen; our dad taught at Signal and our mom would take on missions around the kingdom. Her name was Summer Rose, and she was like, super mom: baker of cookies and slayer of giant monsters. And then, one day she left for a mission and never came back."
Ruby moved in closer to Yang. Ruby felt her sister wrap an arm around her, bringing her even closer.
Team JNPR and Sun wanted to go down there and comfort them, to be there, but they figured once she was done they would do that. There was a lot more that Yang was going to say. Besides, not all of them could fit on the couch at once.
"It was tough, Ruby was still torn up-" As Yang was talking, Blake's demeanor began to soften as she heard Yang. "But, I think she was still too young to get what was really going on, y'know?" Yang tried to somewhat lighten the atmosphere, but it didn't work.
"And my dad just kinda, shutdown, it wasn't long before I learned why. Summer wasn't the first love he'd lost, she was the second. The first was my mom." That caught Blake by surprise, her expression changing. "He wouldn't tell me everything, but I learned that the two of them have been on a team together with Summer and Qrow, and that she left me with him just after I was born. No one had seen her since."
Yang had no idea how much they all wanted to go down there. As if Raider heard their thoughts, the couch became a lot bigger, thus allowing all of them to join Yang and her sister. Weiss joins as well, getting up from her and Ruby's couch.
Now, all 9 of them were smushed together, hugging Yang and Ruby from different spots on the couch, which could honestly just be described as a large bed from the looks of it.
"Why did she leave you?" Blake was curious, and the first thing she said since Yang began speaking.
Yang sighs, "That question, why?" Yang got off the desk and stood in front of the chalkboard. "I didn't have the answer, but I was determined to find out. It was all I thought about, I would ask anybody I could what they knew about her." Yang picked up a piece of chalk from the board.
Showcasing a broken picture frame on the ground, a young Yang stands over it, looking at it.
Then one day, I found something, what I thought was a clue that could lead me to answers. Yang picked up the picture from the frame and observed it closely. Or maybe even my mother.
I waited for dad to leave the house, put Ruby in a wagon, and headed out. A little red wagon trailed behind Yang as she walked down a dirt path in the middle of a forest.
The back of the wagon was prominent, getting further as Yang continued walking. She was deep in the woods now, leaves falling from lifeless trees. I must have walked for hours, I had cuts and bruises, I was totally exhausted, but I wasn't going to let anything stop me. A sleeping baby Ruby was made known in the back of the wagon, her eyes resting as Yang pushed further.
It's one thing to hear it, but to see it through Yang's perspective is something different entirely. You're witnessing it first hand, but second hand at the same time.
Yang felt a building guilt when it showed Ruby just sleeping in the wagon. She could have been killed, and it would have been all my fault. She was just a baby, she didn't have anything to do with the search I had for my mom.
When we finally got there, I could barely stand. Yang stops as she stands out in front of a large, abandoned warehouse. But I didn't care, I had made it. Then I saw them, those burning red eyes. Through the doorway of the abandoned warehouse, the eyes of Grimm glowed a blood red, one more appearing after another.
There we were, a toddler asleep in the back of a wagon, and a stupid girl too exhausted to cry for help. Yang stood there, helpless, full of horror and fear as she stared at the murderous creatures.
Three Grimm didn't elude the opportunity, lunging with claws and fangs ready. We might as well have been served on a silver platter. The figures of the three Grimm were cut in half. But, as luck would have it, our uncle showed up just in time. Both Qrow himself and his symbol were shown. The man had his back turned, his body a black silhouette with his cape flowing in the wind.
Returning to Yang and Blake in the room, she tells her friend her stubbornness should have gotten them killed that night.
Everyone brought the two girls in a crushing bear hug, not having imagined what they had to go through.
"Yang, I'm sorry that happened to you, and I understand what you're trying to tell me, but this is different, I'm not a child, and this isn't just a search for answers, I can't just-!"
Yang's grip on the chalk tightened, her frustration growing, to the point she cuts Blake off, "I told you, I'm not telling you to stop. I haven't, to this day I still want to know what happened to my mother and why she left me, but I will never let that search control me. We're going to find the answers we're looking for Blake, but if we destroy ourselves in the process then what good are we?"
Yang's words only increased Blake's annoyance, her expression contorting to that of such. "You don't understand, I'm the only one who can do this!"
"You're not alone Blake, and you'll never be alone. You have us, your friends." Ruby gestures her hands to everyone who's sitting on the couch, bed? No one knew at this point.
Hearing this, a smile grew upon Blake's face.
"No, you don't understand!" Yang turned around, her eyes turning their shade of red to emphasize the extent of her irritation. "If Roman Torchwick walked through that door, what would you do?" Yang raises an arm to point at the door behind them.
"I'd fight him!"
"You'd lose!" Demonstrating this, Yang shoves Blake into the very desk behind her.
"I can stop him!" Blake pushes Yang's right shoulder, a weak attempt at a fight.
"You can't even stop me!" With a final shove from Yang, Blake is pushed onto the surface, her dissipating strength allowing her to do nothing.
Yang turned to apologize, but Blake brought up a hand. "No, don't apologize. It was just what I needed." Yang wanted to say more, but Blake's stare left her no other choice but to say quiet.
Blake looks at Yang with agitation. She pushes herself up off the desk, Yang slowly walks towards her with her arms extended, then pulls her into a strong embrace. "I'm not asking you to stop, just please, get some rest, not just for you, but for the people you care about." Yang lets go of Blake, her eyes returning to their usual lilac. Blake watches her go, not knowing what to say.
"And, if you feel like coming out tomorrow… I'll save you a dance." Yang turns around to give Blake a flirtatious wink before continuing her leave. Blake looks down in thought before letting out a deep breath, following in Yang's steps of leaving the room. The camera stays on Qrow's symbol for a single moment longer.
Before anyone could ask what it was, "That's our uncle's trademark," both Ruby and Yang said at the same time, and the group left it at that.
"I want to thank you, again." Yang was at the beginning of brushing it off, going to tell Blake there was no need to thank her, but Blake wasn't having any of it. "No, don't even start, I can't thank you enough, I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't stepped in."
Yang gave a small exhale of air, "You're welcome, Blake."
Jaune was walking down the dark campus grounds, a large grin on his face, and a white rose in hand. Nothing was going to stop him from asking Weiss once more, but… "Neptune!" Hearing Weiss call for the boy, Jaune ducked behind a building corner, spotting Weiss run after the blue haired boy who was in the corridor. Neptune asks her what's up.
"You were there?" Weiss's voice held both an odd mix of horror, anger, and guilt.
"Yeah, wrong place, wrong time." Jaune couldn't say anything more, he just awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"I know this is a little unorthodox, but I wanted to ask you something. Would you…like to accompany me to the dance tomorrow?" Weiss' foot fiddled with the ground, showing how nervous she was. Normally, she was on the other end.
Jaune stared, his face falling in defeat. He didn't make a sound as he turned back around, the rose falling to the floor at his feet.
Weiss wanted to say something, but she was coming up blank. What could she say? She felt the urge to apologize, but that didn't feel right, not to her or Jaune. But, deep down, there was another emotion she was feeling, one she couldn't quite place.
At the dance, in a vase, there was a single wilting flower. Yang was at the very front, welcoming those who decided to come. "Oh, you look beautiful!" She bounced on her feet in excitement as Ruby herself was presented. She groans, wondering if she could have a serious talk with Weiss about how she fights in heels all the time.
"Comes with years of practice, none of which I was too fond of, but I got over it over time."
Yang laughs as she watches her sister attempt to walk in them, her stance very wobbly.
Sun's tail swings back and forth as he walks to the party, complaining about his tie which he calls a 'stupid neck trap'. "I knew you'd look better in a tie." Sun turns around as he hears Blake's voice. He stares mesmerized as he takes in her outfit.
Three blondes in the room were on the same page with each other, marveling at her beauty.
"So, does this mean we're going together?" Sun asks as Blake comes and wraps her arm around his. Technically, yes, but her first has already been spoken for.
"And did you have a fun time?" Yang asks Blake, hope filling her eyes.
"Yes, I did." Yang silently celebrates to herself.
Showcasing all the decorations in the room, from the chandelier to the simple balloons around the ballroom. Everyone was dancing, Blake and Yang two of the many attendees. Once her and Blake's dance were done, she allowed Sun to steal her for a dance.
Yang walks over to Weiss and Ruby, happy to see Blake happy and having a fun time. "I told you she would come," Yangs says, Weiss following with a mission accomplished.
"So, what do we do now?" Ruby asks her friends. Yang tells her to just have fun, both her and Weiss going off to do their own thing. "Does this mean I can change out of these stupid things and into my hood now?" Ruby complains and groans when she's met with no answer from neither Yang nor Weiss.
"Not enjoying yourself?" Ozpin voices, coming to stand beside Ruby. The girl quells his question with a little fumbling, telling him she's just not a fancy-pantsy-dancy girl.
"Pfft, 'fancy-pantsy-dancy girl'?"
"Oh shut up!" Ruby turned away from her sister, not wanting to hear any of her mocking.
"You're such a Dolt," Weiss shook her head with a hand resting on her forehead.
"Weiss, not you too…" Ruby whined as she looked at her partner, a pout growing on Ruby's face as Weiss turned away from her. Not for the reason she thought.
"Well, you can't spend your entire life on the battlefield, even if you may want to." Ruby crosses her arms, telling him that lesson has been floating around a lot lately. "If you think about it, fighting and dancing aren't so different. Two partners interlocked, heh, although one wrong move on the ballroom merely leads to a swollen foot." Or a twisted ankle, Ruby adds.
"It's not everyday that friends are able to come together like this, time has a way of testing our bonds, but it's nights like these that can help keep them stronger than ever, nights like these are ones we'll never forget." As Ozpin speaks it switches to Sun and Blake dancing, to Weiss chatting with another student. Ruby looks over as she hears the front doors open.
"You guys are just in time," Yang welcomes Emerald and Mercury as they walk in. Mercury tells her he wouldn't miss it for the world.
The screen goes black, beginning the end credits of the episode.
Ruby scowled as she stared at the two, but also wondering, where was Cinder? They wouldn't have come to the dance just for fun, they must have been a distraction of some sort. Wait…
"Ugh, them…" Nora groaned with a frown as she saw the two come on to the screen.
It was a well known thing for all of them to dislike the two, no matter what point the two decided to show up.