Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well. A bit of a different style chapter today. For once, it's the first chapter since chapter 1 that's under 6k words LMAO. At least it's 5.9k. Takes me back to the old days. I know we prefer longer chapters over here, and trust me, I'm with you, but one, I didn't want to leave you guys on a classic RWBY cliffhanger for a whole MONTH, and two, this chapter and the next were basically 10k plus before I cut em in half, so you could consider chapters 9, 10, and 11 all one big scene. Plus, it takes some of the load off my beta, and my goat deserves all the good stuff I can do for him haha. Good thing is, next one should be up pretty soon! Shooting for next Monday, but we'll see haha.
This is a chapter I've been excited to write since the inception of this fic, and hope you guys enjoy! So without further ado, let's get it started
Beta: Wolfy
Art: Gyanguirus
Chapter 10 - When She Loved Me
Ruby's tummy hurt. Bad.
She flinched as she rubbed her midsection, giving it a pointed glance. Ugh, you always do this before matches, she accused. Her stomach did not reply.
"Got the tummy cramps again, sis?" a voice called from her right as Ruby resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her sister stood on the other side of the locker room, tugging on her red and gold trunks. Yang Xiao Long cut an imposing figure, her capped shoulders and wiry biceps flexing as she pulled the tight material up her legs. Her bright blonde hair was wild as ever, as if she'd stuck a fork in an electrical socket just moments before. It was one of the defining traits she was known for. But any notion of her being intimidating was undercut by the glowing smile she wore, one that always seemed to put Ruby at ease. That didn't mean it was any less annoying when it was used to tease her.
"I stopped calling them that years ago, Yang." she complained. "I'm not a baby anymore."
Yang bounded forward, an Awwww slipping from her lips as she scooped Ruby into a tight embrace. "Yeah, but you'll always be my baby sister, no matter what!"
"Pleeease stop." Ruby grimaced as Yang twirled her around. Her sister relented, setting her back on the locker room's wooden bench. At least she had the nerve to be embarrassed, judging by the rosy blush that adorned her cheeks.
"Sorry Ruby, I'm just so pumped!" Yang exclaimed, throwing a fist to the sky. "It's not every day me and my baby sis get to challenge for gold."
Ruby's hands flew to her stomach as she felt it flop again. She gave Yang a glare, her sister scratching her cheek and letting out a chuckle.
"I swear I'm not trying to wind you up on purpose, promise. I know how important today is to you."
Ruby gave her a nod as she pulled on her black boots, making sure to buckle each one. Yang wasn't wrong, today was the day.
"I just…never thought we'd get here. You and me." she said quietly. "To think I still would've been in classes if I hadn't tested out."
"Consider yourself lucky," Yang beamed down at her. "I know I sure did. I mean, the chance to team up with my baby sister? That's like a dream come true."
Ruby returned her smile, warmth blossoming in her chest as she remembered just how'd they ended up as a team. Graduating Signal early had been a huge leap, one Ruby wasn't ready for. Sure, she had solid grades on her promos, and her wrestling was in the top percentile, but it was still a lot for someone as young as her. She'd had to leave her friends behind, all two of them, and be placed into Signal's independent circuit. The promotion was a lot of pressure. Sure, it wasn't VWC level, but it was where some of the best wrestlers had started their careers. But thankfully, she hadn't been alone.
"Thanks again, sis." She began softly. "For bringing me along with you."
Yang slid down beside her on the bench. "Hey, what did we say about looking down on yourself?"
"I didn't even say anything yet!" Ruby protested; her face flushed. Yang poked her cheek.
"I practically raised you Rubes, I'm pretty good at knowing what you're thinking."
"Unfortunately." Ruby grumbled, but there wasn't any heat in it.
"Call it a big sister's intuition." Yang explained. "And I can tell you're beating yourself up about the contract thing again."
"Because it's perfectly normal for someone to feel guilty about holding their big sister back from her VWC debut!" Ruby confessed, her voice catching. Yang's lilac eyes softened.
"You're not holding me back from anything, Ruby. I made the choice to defer my contract for a year. I didn't do it because I felt guilty about leaving you behind. I didn't do it because I wanted to baby you, or because I didn't think you couldn't take care of yourself. I did it because I wanted to team with you. After mom…" she stopped, turning away and blinking her eyes. "After that, there's nothing I'd want more in the world than to share my career with my baby sister." She finished, wrapping an arm around Ruby's shoulders and pulling her close.
"I've already been champ here anyway. We win these belts today, and the VWC will sign you too. I'm sure of it."
"But you're much better as a solo act. You don't need me." Ruby muttered into Yang's shoulder. "You've got that spark. Everyone here knows it. It's all they can talk about when they think I'm not listening."
Yang's eyes flashed red for a second, before she took a deep breath. "I told you to tell me about assholes like them. So what if they say I've got singles star potential? We're bringing those VWC World Tag Team Championships back to our family! And that's a promise. After that, we can go our separate ways for a while. I know there's nothing lil sis would love more than to stay as a team forever, but you've gotta grow and learn on your own too. But even then, we won't be separated. We're a team, remember? Crimson Dragons for life."
Ruby sniffled as she wrapped her own arm around Yang's shoulders. "Crimson Dragons for life."
Yang shook her head. "Not loud enough, I want to hear you say it like you mean it."
"Crimson Dragons for life!" Ruby laughed as she threw a fist to the sky. Yang cupped her ears.
"I can't hear you!"
"CRIMSON DRAGONS FOR LIFE!" Ruby howled as she stood up, pumping her fists. Yang was right with her, doing the same.
"Damn right!" Yang said, slapping Ruby's back so hard she stumbled forward. "Now let's go over the plan one more time. You made it after all."
"R-Right!" Ruby yelped. It was true, Yang had let her plan their matches for the better part of a year now. It made sense though; Yang was more of a slam first ask questions later kind of person. But Ruby doubted she even needed a plan; Yang was the best wrestler she'd ever met. Her natural talent, charisma, semblance, and determination to be the best put her head and shoulders above the other rookies. "The plan! I was thinking you'd take on Kobalt, and I'd swap in for Ivori."
Yang nodded as Ruby continued, brows drawn down in a picture-perfect game face. "Got it, next?"
"Kobalt is heavy on his lead leg, I think you can chew it up with your kicks." Ruby observed as Yang sent her a devious grin.
"He won't have a leg to stand on." She joked as Ruby groaned.
"Just set him up and knock him down Yang, like you always do."
Yang gave her a thumbs up. "They won't know what hit 'em. Anything else?"
Ruby swallowed as she paused, twiddling her thumbs. "I was thinking maybe I could try out Crescent Rose."
Yang's eyes widened. "Ruby, I respect the gung ho-ness, but I'm not sure this is the time. It's a great move, and I know you've been nailing the drills, but we could be in for a seriously long night against these guys. Might want to keep that one on the shelf for now."
"But Yang," she whined. "You always get to try out the cool moves. Heck, you'd never even done your second finisher before you whipped it out in our first match."
"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?" Yang grinned, reminiscing on their victory. "But I'm also the leader here Rubes, I don't want you getting hurt. Your semblance already drains your aura fast, a jump like that could leave you in serious trouble. Besides, Petal Burst is already a great finisher. Nobody does a corner setup boot to the face like you do."
Ruby crossed her arms. "I'm not a kid, you don't have to humor me!" Ugh it just wasn't fair! She'd been practicing Crescent Rose for months! Sure, it could never replace her original finisher, but it would knock the socks off anyone who saw it. Petal burst was just a semblance boosted kick to the face that required her opponent to be in a specific position. Crescent Rose could be used from anywhere. Yang's face said to drop it, so Ruby let out a huff and went back to suiting up.
"We're on in ten. I hear Uncle Qrow's watching from the promoter's box too." Yang said, checking her scroll as she tugged on her black fingerless gloves. "Before we go out there, there's something I wanted to tell you, Rubes."
Ruby turned back to face her older sister, curious. "Say it quickly, I gotta use the bathroom."
Yang snorted as she stepped forward, placing her hands on Ruby's shoulders. "I know we want to win, but even if we lose, I want you to know I'm so freaking proud of you. Mom…Mom would be too if she could see you now."
Ruby didn't know what to say, so she just pulled Yang in for a hug. It only lasted a few seconds before she pushed Yang away "Stop being so sappy Yang. We've got a match to win."
"Yeah, my bad. Let's get out there." Yang grinned as she laced up her boots.
/
Ruby's lungs burned as she grasped the top ropes tightly, forcing herself to swallow mouthfuls of air. The match had been going on for almost twenty-five minutes! Ivori and Kobalt had brought the fight, despite her hopes of an easy night. She couldn't keep up this pace. Her cardio was decent, but she'd already used her semblance a few times, trying to land Petal Burst. She glanced at the promoter's box on the far side of the arena. She was so sure Uncle Qrow was judging her right now. He always told her to pace herself. Her eyes flicked to the aura meters on the wall's massive flatscreen. She was hovering at around 20%. Not good. But it was certainly a lot better than Yang, who's meter had been in the red for the better part of seven minutes. It wasn't how usual matches went, where a pin would happen before aura got this low, but this was a championship match. It wasn't rare for things to get this serious. Yang had made sure to instill that notion in her. Speaking of Yang, she'd tagged herself in, letting Ruby get her rest.
She certainly wasn't looking any worse for wear though. Yang roared, throwing an uppercut that sent Kobalt's teeth clicking together as he crumpled to the mat.
"DRAGONHEART HAS HIM ROCKED!" she heard the commentator bellow from the ringside announce table as the small crowd exploded. Signal's circuit was a far cry from the VWC, with match tapings that rarely made it to the internet. The crowds were smaller too, but Ruby found she didn't mind less eyes on her as she got to work. Speaking of work, Yang was far from done putting in hers.
She followed Kobalt to the canvas like a falcon lunging down after a rabbit. Yang's ground and pound game was the most feared in the company, bar none. Raining down haymaker after haymaker on her prone opponent. Kobalt finally got some reprieve as he planted both feet in Yang's midsection and sent her sprawling across the mat. Dragonheart stood, turning her head and spitting a gob of blood and saliva to the side. So cool, Ruby admired, the crowd thinking the same as they oohed and ahhed. Yang followed it up by throwing her hands out to the side and beckoning Kobalt to get up.
"Come get some!" She bellowed as Kobalt struggled to his feet. Ruby almost felt bad for the pair. Yang had come out swinging, letting herself take a few hits before igniting her semblance and taking the two grapplers to town. She'd nearly pinned Ivori after choke slamming him so hard Ruby felt bad for him. To their credit, they'd hung on. Now Yang was nearly depleted, and Ruby was exhausted.
The match continued, Ruby getting to tag in again after Yang laid out a newly switched in Ivori. "Your turn, Rubes. I can't hog all the glory."
"You're beating them by yourself!" Ruby said, astonished. "I think you've already got all of it." Yang laughed and clapped her on the back.
"Go get 'em sis!"
The match dragged on even longer. There were tag team moves done by both sides, near pins, and even a chance to bust out their ultimate attack. Ruby slapped Yang's palm after she'd managed to stun Ivori, tagging her in and leaping into the air. Yang caught her, rearing back and hurling Ruby forward with all her might, throwing her like a javelin at their stunned opponent. Ruby got her leg up just in time to catch Ivori square on the chin with her knee, knocking him clean out. Yang rushed in for the pin, but Kobalt managed to break it up.
It looked like the beginning of the end though. Kobalt was gassed, barely keeping his hands up as Yang walked him down, throwing punches in bunches and sending the atlesian sprawling to the ropes. To her surprise, Kobalt ducked through them, standing on the ring apron and beckoning at Yang with his fingers. Ruby shot her a worried look as Yang caught her eye, shaking her head. Yang only shrugged, her wild smile returning as she joined Kobalt on the apron. What are you thinking Yang? Weren't you just telling me to be careful! Ruby groaned as Yang and Kobalt continued to box. The ring apron was only a few inches wide, and any slams or grapples that landed there hurt far more, due to the lack of ring mats. But Yang loved to fight dangerously.
"Be careful sis!" Ruby called out as Yang took a kick to the gut. Fear gripped her heart like an icy hand as Kobalt leaned over her, wrapping his arms around Yang's waist for a powerbomb, or even worse, a piledriver. On the apron that would be devastating! Especially with Yang having only a little aura left. If she hit the apron hard enough, her aura would break, and she'd take the brunt of the damage directly. Kobalt jerked as he went to lift her up, but Yang brought her hips down, lowering her center of gravity and wrapping her right foot around the bottom rope. She wasn't going anywhere. Kobalt tried again to no avail as Yang began to laugh.
"What's so funny?" He grimaced.
"Have a nice trip!" Yang exclaimed as she bucked backwards, flipping Kobalt over her shoulders and sending him back first on the apron. The structure shook as he landed hard. The audience roared their approval as Kobalt writhed in pain. Ruby relaxed, tension slipping from her shoulders as she clapped giddily. Yang had used his positioning against him. She really is untouchable, she mused. Yang strutted over to their corner and fluttered her fingers at Ivori before returning her attention to the now prone Kobalt as the ref rushed in to check on him. Ivori snarled, a mix of Yang's taunts and exhaustion finally seeming to get the better of him as he leaned over the ropes, slamming his fist into the back of Yang's head.
"HEY!" Ruby shrieked in alarm as Yang crumbled to one knee, barely keeping her balance on the apron. "THAT'S CHEATING! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! REF!"
But the ref hadn't seen it, he was busy checking on Kobalt who had now risen to his feet, ready for another go at Yang. This is bad, Ruby thought in a panic as she could only watch. Ivori wasn't the legal man. He wasn't allowed to attack Yang when he wasn't tagged in. That stupid cheating rule! When it came to wrestling, anything went as long as the referee didn't catch you. Sure, if you cheated on national television, they'd review it, but they wouldn't overturn the match. Worst they would do is dump a massive fine on you. If you were caught during a match, however, you could get suspended or even worse fired. It was allowed because it added to drama, and it helped people hate the heels more. But this wasn't that type of cheating. This was dangerous.
"Back of the head shots under ten percent are dangerous!" She screeched across the ring at Ivori. His eyes widened, maybe he hadn't meant to do it. Sometimes people could get caught up in the fight. But that didn't matter. The back of the head was too fragile. Hits there could lead to concussions, or even worse, brain damage. But that didn't matter now, what mattered was that Kobalt had returned to the ring apron, with Yang still dazed from the illegal shot, and with Ivori willing to cheat for the win it was shaping up to be a two on one.
She had to do something. She had to do something. But what could she do? She could hit Ivori with a petal burst, they were both not legal after all, meaning they could fight to their heart's content. But that wouldn't stop Kobalt from hurting Yang. Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her face. She had to take them both out, hit them with something so strong it would give Yang time to tag out.
Crescent Rose.
It was the only way. Ruby took a deep breath as she gripped the top rope tightly. Then she sprang into action. She jumped onto the rope and leapt into the air, feeling the familiar rush of her semblance activating as she rocketed up towards the ceiling. She canceled her semblance right as she was about to hit the rafters, twisting her body and planting both her feet against one of the beams. Then she sprung off and reactivated her semblance, using the momentum to rocket towards the opposing side's ring apron. She was going to nail them both with a dropkick so hard it would leave their ears ringing, saving her sister.
Then everything went wrong.
Just as she approached the apron, maybe fifteen or twenty feet in the air, the world slowed down, the sound of crackling filling her ears as the horrible realization dawned on her. She was out of aura. Her semblance had dropped. She was twenty feet in the air without her semblance. She was going to fall. She'd been out of the match so long she'd forgotten she was so low. She didn't check before she'd gone for Crescent Rose! In all her attempts she'd made sure only to go for it when above a certain threshold. She was so focused on saving Yang she'd completely forgotten it. Now she might've just cost her the match! She'd be eliminated due to a lack of aura. But there was no time for regret as she shrieked in terror, arms flailing as she plummeted towards the outside of the ring where only the cold floor would catch her.
The ground only got closer. She scrunched her eyes shut, refusing to look her grisly fate in the face.
"RUBY!" A voice screamed from her right as she felt a weight slam into her side, arms wrapping around her chest like steel cables as her trajectory shifted drastically. What was once a nosedive onto concrete was now more of a slant as she landed hard, her back screaming in pain. She dragged ragged gasps as the wind was knocked out of her. Everything hurt, but only for a little while. When the pain let up, she craned her neck, making sure to wiggle her fingers and toes like Mom had taught her. Nothing seems to be damaged, she realized, relief flooding her senses. Judging from the debris scattered around her, it seems she'd landed in the first two rows of steel chairs, thankfully, nobody had been sitting in them.
She was vaguely aware of the ref ringing the bell. What? She wondered in alarm. Why was he ringing the bell? They had ten full seconds, which the official usually counted at a slow pace for the legal man to get back into the ring. Nobody liked count outs after all. Sure, she was out, but that didn't mean it was over. All Yang would have to do was face them both. She still had some aura left; she could continue fighting! She could take them! But Yang wasn't there. All Ruby saw was Kobalt and Ivori looking down at her with alarm. Shouldn't they be celebrating? They won, didn't they?
Her eyes widened as she felt something move below her. She threw herself to the side, fear mounting as she looked at what had broken her fall, or rather, who. Yang laid on top of a few collapsed steel chairs beneath her. Her eyes were screwed tightly shut as air whistled through her clenched teeth. The arms around her waist, the weight, Yang had thrown herself off the apron to save Ruby. A quick glance to the monitor confirmed it, Yang's aura meter was empty. They'd lost. But right now, that was the least of her concerns.
"Yang!" She gasped in alarm. "Oh my gosh, Yang! I'm sorry I didn't mean–"
"Are you okay?" Yang asked, grunting through the pain. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"N-no, I don't think so." Ruby murmured as she leaned over her sister. "Forget about me! What about you?"
"I'm–" Yang began, taking a moment to suck in some air before she continued. "I'm fine Rubes."
"I'm sorry! I cost us the–" Ruby began, voice trembling.
"Forget about the match. T-They got lucky this round." Yang joked through gritted teeth. "Mind helping your big sis up?" Ruby nodded, trying to make herself useful. She grabbed Yang's right arm and tugged, arching her back and straining to pick her sister up.
"S-STOP!" Yang yelped from below her, Ruby nearly dropping her as she let her arm go, lowering her sister back to the floor. Ruby gasped as something that almost looked like fear flashed across Yang's face. She might've been imagining it though, through exhaustion or pain, because when she looked at her again, Yang gave her a wink, her cocky expression intact.
"Could you go grab the ref?" Yang asked, but it was in the tone that implied it wasn't a suggestion. "Got some questions for him about that finish. M-Maybe it can be disputed."
"But Yang, you never ask–" Ruby protested as Yang gave her a grin.
"First time for everything, Rubes. Get the ref, then grab me some water, okay? There's the station over on the right by the crowd. I'm bone dry over here."
Ruby looked at her in shock as she fumbled for what to say. "I'm not just going to leave you here. What if you're hurt!"
Yang gave her another classic big sister smile, but it looked strange. Almost…shaky. "I told you Ruby, I'm okay. Now bring the ref over and grab that water before I die of thirst."
Reluctantly, Ruby rose from where she'd been crouched and sprinted over to the ref.
"Yang needs to speak with you. Hurry!" She practically screamed at the referee as she stumbled around the ring to the water cooler. She scowled up at Ivori and Kobalt as she grabbed two paper cups and began to fill them. The crowd murmured their confusion and discontent as she watched the liquid fill the cups.
Done, she thought as she began to jog back over to Yang. She only made it halfway before she stopped dead in her tracks. Yang was speaking to the ref, her smile gone as she and the official spoke in hushed whispers. Yang said something, then the referee stood up and turned towards the far side of the room, towards the promoter's booth.
Ruby's heart stopped as his arms came up over his head.
Making an X.
She couldn't walk forward anymore. Her legs felt rooted to the ground as she could only look on in despair. An X. The referee had thrown up an X. It wasn't the motion that struck fear into the deepest parts of her heart. It was what it meant.
The universal sign of serious injury.
The crowd had gone silent as they took in the harrowing sight. Ruby barely heard Kobalt curse in worry from behind her. The referee returned to Yang's side as he made a few more gestures Ruby didn't understand. The curtain by the entrance was pushed aside as two women clad in white stomped down the ramp, one toting a large bag on her shoulder marked with a red cross. Medics. Ruby finally snapped out of her daze and raced forward. She heard Yang yell something to the referee. She didn't quite make it out though. But that didn't matter as the referee got in between her and her sister, grabbing her shoulders.
"You have to stay back." He said as Ruby shook her head.
"That's my sister! Get out of my way!" She screamed, thrashing in his grip until a much stronger pair of arms wrapped around her, lifting her up and pulling her back. Her head craned to see who'd ripped her away from Yang, gasping as she came face to face with her uncle.
"Kid, don't." Qrow urged, his eyes weary.
"YANG'S HURT!" She wailed up at him. "I'M NOT LEAVING HER!"
"The pros know what they're doing." He gritted out, his usual jokes gone. "You'll just get in the way. They're gonna take care of her."
She sagged in his grip. He was right. There was nothing she could do. So all she did was cling to her uncle's chest as he carried her up the entrance ramp to the back, just barely avoiding another round of medics pushing past her with a metal contraption she didn't recognize. They sat there in silence, Uncle Qrow rubbing her back as she held onto him for dear life.
Things only got worse when the curtain parted once again, this time for three medics, wheeling a stretcher in tow. Ruby let out a ragged gasp. Yang was strapped to the stretcher, around her neck was some kind of foam block. No, a neck brace. That couldn't be Yang. Yang was strong. Yang was tall. Yang was jacked and full of life. She was Dragonheart. The girl in front of her on the stretcher looked fragile. She couldn't hold it in anymore, throwing herself into Uncle Qrow's side as tears began to stream down her cheeks.
/
The smell of alcohol filling her nostrils didn't help her relax. It wasn't the type she was used to. No, unlike the gross smelling whiskey that Uncle Qrow had drowned himself in after mom got sick, this was different.
Sterile.
Ruby had always hated hospitals. Well, specifically needles, but this was the place you usually found them. This time, however, she had a completely different reason to despise them. She craned her neck, looking through the window. She regretted it immediately. Yang had just been slid into some crazy device. An MRI, Uncle Qrow had called it. Something about getting scans of her body.
She bounced her leg restlessly. It took around forty minutes for the whole process, with the doctor finally opening the door and calling them in. There was Yang, laid on a bed. She sent Ruby a shaky smile. Dad was there too, pacing back and forth anxiously. Uncle Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder and led her into one of the nearby chairs.
"W-What's the word, doc?" Yang winced from the bed. "For what it's worth I feel way better."
"Happy to see that you're doing well Ms." he began before reading her tag. "Xiao Long. You're a lucky lady. Good news is, you're going to recover with no long lasting paralysis. In fact, you'll be up and walking in no time. A testament to your surplus of aura no doubt."
Yang let out a sigh of relief, slumping in her bed. "Hell yeah. Had me worried there for a minute."
"What else, doctor?" Taiyang asked the physician, his tone clipped. It was more of a prompt though. Had he already spoken to him?
"Yang, you suffered a pretty serious spinal cord injury on your landing due to your lack of aura." The doctor explained as Ruby winced.
"Ah," Yang began with a gulp. "That explains the numbness then. Couldn't get up for a minute there."
"Frankly we're surprised you're in as good a shape as you are." The doctor smiled. "A landing that broke someone's aura like that could've killed you." Ruby tried her best not to but ended up shrinking into her chair.
"Well, it didn't." Yang snapped quickly, sending a reassuring glance her way. "So how long am I out doc? We were about to win the tag belts! I've got a career to get on with."
Silence descended over the room, only being broken by Taiyang's strangled sob. The doctor walked a bit closer to Yang and began to speak.
Ruby stopped listening after the first sentence.
/
Ruby's fingers hovered over the doorknob, just as they had been for the past fifteen minutes. This time she'd open it. She had to. Sure, she hadn't the past few days, or weeks really. It wasn't that she hadn't seen Yang. No, she saw her all the time, but when Yang went to her room, she rarely came out until mealtime.
"I can hear you out there, Ruby." Yang's voice came through the door. Ruby's hand clasped around the knob and pushed the door open. The fact that Yang didn't tell her to come in wasn't lost on her. Her sister was sat on her bed, green covers drawn over her legs. In her hands was a book she'd never seen before. Looks like Yang wasn't keen on seeing it either, considering how she'd only made it a few pages in, electing instead to gaze out her window.
"H-Hi, Yang." Ruby said weakly. "Whatcha reading?"
"A book." Her sister replied. Ruby let out an awkward giggle as she looked closer.
"The Man with Two Souls." She read as she gazed at the book's front cover. "Sounds neat. Super neat. Was that one of the books Dad gave you?"
"Mhm." her sister replied.
"Did somebody call? I heard you talking to someone earlier."
"No one called." her sister replied.
Ruby wanted to say something but couldn't. The words jammed in her mouth. Her feet were rooted to the floor. All she could do was gaze around her sister's once bright room, eyes widening at the changes that had been made.
The posters were gone, what was once a wall adorned with a mix of scantily clad men and women and wrestling posters, was gone, replaced with a barren wooden wall. In a corner were her crutches. She stopped needing them weeks ago, but Dad said they'd hang on to them just in case. No, what drew her gaze was the pile of tattered fabric that lay discarded by the foot of her bed.
Ruby nearly sobbed as she recognized what it was. Or rather what it used to be. Tights and a top. Yang's black and yellow gear that she'd worked on with Ruby in preparation for her move to the VWC. She'd wanted something flashy and had asked Ruby to help her. Ruby declined. After all, there were professionals Yang could get her equipment from now that she was going to be fighting in the VWC. Yang told her she wanted Ruby to help her make it just as they had in the old days, so they'd worked for hours together for nights on end. Yang had pulled her into a tight hug when it was done.
Now it was in pieces.
"Y-Yang…what happened?"
"Nothing." her sister replied.
"Who called earlier?" Ruby demanded desperately. "I know you were talking with somebody. Dad was in here too."
"No one called." her sister replied. "I'd…I'd like to be alone now. Sorry, Ruby. I'll see you at dinner."
Ruby paused, wanting desperately to run to her, to hug her and cry. To apologize for not following the plan. To try and bring back her sister's glowing smile. To apologize for her own stupid choices. Dad and Uncle Qrow had assured her it wasn't her fault, but it didn't make her feel any better. It wasn't her fault. These things happen all the time. They were just unlucky.
It was just an accident, right?
"O-Okay Yang, I'll see you soon." she said as she began to walk back towards the door. She froze when she saw Yang's desk. The table that was usually so messy, riddled with crude scrawlings of designs and ideas, was completely empty, save for a small pile of white scraps. Paper. Ruby leaned forward, trying to make sense of the documents, frantically trying to fit the scraps together like puzzle pieces. Yang made no move to stop her. They were ripped so thinly she had to settle for just picking out terms. She trembled as she read the words she'd pieced together.
Xiao Long.
Dragonheart.
VWC.
Injury.
Terminated.
She turned back to face her sister, who refused to meet her eyes, content to stare lifelessly out the window. There were so many things she wanted to say, but only one felt right.
"I…I love you." she croaked, her throat threatening to close up entirely.
"Bye Ruby." her sister replied.
Ruby pushed through the door, making sure to quietly close it before she sprinted to her room, throwing the door open and launching herself onto her bed. The tears were back in full force as she bent double, letting out keening wails that only her pillow could hide.
The accident had ruined everything.
She raised her right hand to her mouth, frantically biting down hard on her thumb until it bled, desperately hoping to wake up from some kind of dream. Some kind of nightmare.
But she never did.
SIKE! I still got one more cliffhanger left in me. Sorry LMAO. Ok, so a bit of a debrief from this chapter. I'm not a doctor, despite having many in the family, so if there are any inaccuracies about how things went, I'm just relying on my own medical experiences, as well as a few articles. I took a lot of inspiration from Stone Cold Steve Austin's injury when describing what happened to Yang, where he broke his neck after a botched piledriver. So these types of injuries are grounded in reality. Wrestling is dangerous, man.
Hopefully this also gives a bit more context on why Ruby is so cagey/skittish, which is something else that will be addressed a bit in coming chapters. From now on, what she says and what actually happens are going to be very important things for y'all to watch out for.
As for Yang, a lot of people called it, but it was always the plan to have her story be adjacent to canon in the way of her life altering injury. This sport has a rough underbelly that I'm really excited to explore further. Speaking of my first sentence though, I jut wanna say I'm so proud and also blessed to have a group of readers as thoughtful, perceptive, and fun as you guys. You can pick up on subtle hints, offer fun theories, and overall make it a pleasure for me to write for you guys. Guess I'm a little sentimental since in like 3 months we hit this fic's one year anniversary.
I'm a big fan of fun titles, and this one is a reference to Toy Story 2, or rather a specific scene from it. It's also the soundtrack for this chapter. Do with that what you will.
As always, I LOVE you guys' reviews, comments, favorites, etc. They motivate me to keep making content for you guys. Always brings a smile to my face to read over what you guys think. Feel free to hit me up in the DM's too.
So that's all from me! I'm gonna go get back to writing. Writing with a full time job is tough, I don't know how Coeur Al Aran does it. Speaking of which, I've got a little project planned in the near future, very similar to the other work I've done, Clockwork Soldiers. Stay tuned for more details!
- Curb