Author's Note: Okay, time for the finale! (Wow, I hardly ever get to say that)
Thanks so much for all the favorites and follows, it goes a long way in telling me how much you guys are enjoying this thing. It's been fun, though kinda tricky, in my attempts to keep the characters as true to canon as I can. Now that I've refreshed myself a bit on their character traits, I think I can pull this off. I did some light editing to all four previous chapters, so if you've been through them before you could go read them over again - or just read this one and wrap it up. Your choice.
Many tears have been shed so far in Yang's journey, but now it's time to bring this tale to a close. I really hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimers: I do not own RWBY in any way. Also, I have no expertise in the subjects of dream psychology, self-identity, or the female mind. The following chapter may or may not reflect any sort of real-life reasoning in those areas. Feel free to correct any glaring lapses in logic by leaving a review (if you're so inclined).
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The first thing Blake noticed was yellow. Lots of yellow. The color was everywhere. All around her was ...something that looked like clouds, or maybe a dense fog, and it was all a dull yellow. This was not a bright, happy color, but more like the squalid tone one would see in a sewage dump. Beneath her feet was a rocky path, and this too was a brownish-yellow color, similar to sandstone. Neither set of ears detected any sounds, nor could her nose pick out any smells. There was a comfortable warmth in the air, similar to the heat of a body in close contact.
The path stretched out before her, disappearing into the yellow fog. As she looked all around her, Blake found that the path dropped off into nothingness on either side of it as well as directly behind her. No way to go but forward. And so she walked.
It was at this point that Blake became certain she was in a dream, as she put forth no effort in her movements, yet found herself gliding along just fine. There was also no sensation of her feet hitting the stone beneath her. The yellow clouds gave way as she moved and closed in behind her as she progressed.
All at once, she came into a clearing. The path opened up wide as the fog lifted and Blake found herself looking at... a forest?
The trees before her were densely packed, allowing little to no movement between them. The only way through was the path she was on. As she walked, Blake noticed that the trees were ...not really trees. More like simple images of trees. Like faded paintings. Most of them bore the standard greens of a forest in the warm season, but deeper within she noticed the occasional brown and red that indicated the coming autumn. As she drew nearer to these colors, Blake was suddenly hit with smells - the strong aroma of pine and oak, coupled with the underlying scent of flowers. All at once, the faunus was truly in the woods.
Only then did Blake realize that she was no longer alone. Less than 20 feet ahead stood a little girl with great golden pigtails pulling a wagon with a bundle of red blankets in it. The girl limped weakly, as though she had been walking for the better part of the day. The bundle in the cart stirred, and Blake noticed dark red hair sticking out of the fabric.
The realization hit her like a truck. My gods... is that Yang? That would mean the girl in the cart is Ruby...
This was the story Yang had told Blake a while back... and thinking back on it now, the brunette felt like it was in another lifetime. It was the story about how Yang had stubbornly ran away from home to find her mother. A story that almost had a very bad ending...
Blake felt herself grow cold as she noticed the ramshackle cabin just ahead. The blonde girl kept right on walking, oblivious to the danger. The eyes came next, lighting up the blackness of the doorway like bloody stars. Blake saw the girl freeze and could feel her fear, even from her short distance behind them.
The faunus stopped thinking and started moving. In the blink of an eye she was standing in front of little Yang with her weapon drawn and ready (it never occurred to her to ask why she even had a sword in a dream). The creatures of Grimm leapt, each just as faint and jumbled as the trees around them, but Blake didn't care. Gambol Shroud did exactly what it was designed to do... and it did so quite well. Within moments the Grimm were no more.
And just as quickly, the forest around her also dissolved into nothingness. She was back on the rocky path surrounded by piss-yellow clouds. Bleh.
Only this time, she had company.
"Wh-wh-what's going on here, who're you?" A young, shaky voice said from behind her, causing Blake to turn around with a start. Little Yang was sitting on her bum where she had landed, lavender eyes wide with shock. Blake could now see that the blonde was quite dirty and covered with little cuts and bruises. This girl really had been traveling for a long time. The wagon she was pulling had vanished along with the woods.
The faunus sheathed her weapon, then bent down and softly said, "My name's Blake. What's yours?" She tried to smile, hoping the put the child at ease, but it proved to be a difficult task. Her own emotions were in a bit of turmoil at the moment.
"Y-y-yang Xiao Long..." The blonde pigtails vibrated gently as the girl trembled.
Blake nearly whispered her next few words, "Hello, Yang... It's nice to meet you." She held out one hand, waiting tentatively for the smaller girl's reaction. Yang gingerly reached out, flinching at the slightest movement of Blake's outstretched hand, then gently took it. They shared an awkward handshake, then Blake stood up with a light grunt, brushing her pants off as she did. Yang just stared.
"Well I can't very well leave you here..." The brunette looked around them grimly, "Would you like to come with me?"
Yang's lavender eyes also took in their surroundings, then she said, "...okay."
Blake reached out a hand and Yang took it, and the two of them walked down the rocky path. Blonde pigtails bobbed with each step the girl took, her small stature reaching no higher than the brunette's waist.
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The path continued for several more minutes. Or was it hours? Days? Blake had no sense of time in this place. At least now she could hear both her own footsteps and those of her new traveling companion, the young pig-tailed version of her girlfriend. It gave her something to focus on as they walked, which was good since neither one of them seemed to feel like talking. That and it felt like it was getting warmer... almost hot.
Once again the fog cleared and Blake found herself in quite possibly the last place she expected to be... at the front gate of Beacon Academy.
It was all there; the trees lining the walkway, the statue at the center of the courtyard, even the towers and spires of the campus itself. As far as she was concerned, Blake was there. The yellow clouds from before might as well have never been there at all. A light squeeze on her hand was enough to bring the faunus back down to their surroundings - after all, there was no way a young version of Yang could be standing here with her in real life. Blake absently wondered if there was somewhere they could sit down inside, maybe have some time to chat. It wasn't everyday you get to talk to the kid version of your true love, after all.
Acting on this query, the two travelers made their way to the main door of the building... only to find themselves in a room that should have been on the other side of the campus. This was the room where the new first-year students spent the night before their initiation in the Emerald Forest. The faunus suddenly felt like she'd been transported back in time to her first day at Beacon. The sleeping bags were still there, all splayed out just the same way as back then. Milling around the room were black silhouettes of people in odd shapes and sizes. Low mumbling could be heard. There was the general sense of purpose as the teenagers in the room were getting ready for bed.
I am back at the first day. What in the...
"Hell~o-o-o!" A cheerful, familiar voice sang from Blake's left. The faunus' eyes grew wide at the sound.
A much older Yang, dressed in her standard pajamas, was walking across the room towards ...another Blake, also in pajamas, who was reading a book against the wall. Yang was dragging a reddish colored blur that must have been Ruby, but for some reason she was quite fuzzy. Right before her eyes, Blake watched the scene play out; Yang forced Ruby to say hello to Blake, simple greetings were exchanged, and Ruby asked about the book she was reading. Blake's chest became warm as she watched, almost until she felt like she was glowing. This was where she first fell in love with the blonde brawler. Right here.
A small voice spoke up next to her, "This is where she fell in love with you, too..."
Blake looked down with a start and saw little Yang staring back up at her, all sense of fear and hesitation gone. Large pools of lavender locked with amber.
The scene in front of them had stopped, like a paused movie, and the older Yang turned to face Blake, "The whole time you and Ruby were talking, all I could think was 'I wonder what kind of music she likes?' and 'I wonder if she'd like to go out to lunch sometime?' and '...gee Ruby, you got along with her awfully quick.'" Yang's brow furrowed at the last thought.
Blake let a small laugh come out, knowing it was fine to do so. No one, least of all Yang, would judge her here.
"I have to admit that I was ...a bit jealous of Ruby for being able to start talking with you so quickly." Pajama Yang clutched one arm with the other, looking sheepish. "You were easily the prettiest girl I had ever met. I just kinda... couldn't find the words, you know?"
Blake nodded, "Yeah, I know. I felt the same way." The brunette took a confident step forward, locking eyes with pajama Yang. "That's why I trailed you that day. I had to make sure I was the first one you saw. I wouldn't... couldn't let anyone else have you as their partner."
Yang made a noise that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh, her face turning beet red as she scratched the back of her head. "Geez, Blake..." Little Yang walked over next to her taller counterpart and patted her leg in a motherly fashion. This elicited a long fit of laughter for both taller girls, one that Blake sorely needed.
Before they settled down for a short rest, Blake leaned over and gave pajama Yang a good, solid hug. "We're gonna get through this, Yang. Believe in yourself."
The blonde responded by giving the brunette a quick peck on the lips, then turned a deep shade of red before smiling warmly and tucking herself in.
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It might have been no more than a few minutes or as much as a few hours, but it didn't matter to Blake. She was rested and refreshed beyond what she had ever felt before. The fact that she was now joined by two Yangs was a big help. The school was, once again, gone when she awoke, leaving the trio on the same rocky path walking through the same piss-yellow clouds. More bleh.
And it was getting hotter. Blake was starting to sweat profusely.
She had little Yang by the right hand and pajama Yang holding her left arm. The path had started out only wide enough for one, but it was now wide enough to accommodate all three girls side by side. Still they walked on, over seemingly miles and miles of brownish-yellow dirt.
And then, as before, the clouds revealed another scene. Blake had no trouble guessing where she was this time.
This scene was not fuzzy or blurred in the slightest. The cobblestone path was as real as could be as it wound it's way around the lake. The water reflected the evening sunlight with crystal clarity. The trees shuddered in the breeze, dropping the occasional leaf from their branches. There was no other noises, no people walking by, no birds... nothing but the calm serenity of Blake's favorite spot. Just ahead of the trio was the large oak that served as Blake's second home. It had a few low hanging branches that she had no trouble climbing up into, and she often did just that on bright, sunny days when she just wanted some time to herself.
And now, sitting in that very spot, was Yang. Her Yang. "Hey there, kitten," the blonde purred.
Dropping her companions' hands, Blake floated forward to meet the woman by the tree. Her voice came out on it's own, "I told you not to call me that."
On cue, Yang put on her best Yang-grin, "Oh come on... you know you like it."
Without another word, Blake took Yang's hand and the two of them began walking along the path. Blake was beyond words. This was the night. It was here that they would have their first kiss, where she would declare her feelings for the world to hear, and where they would promise to live out the rest of their lives walking side by side. Blake had felt at that time that she could have written volumes upon volumes of books about how she felt... and still not come close to fully describing it.
"This place and those two were all I could find."
Yang's voice pulled Blake out of her reverie just enough for the brunette to utter, "...What?"
"These memories..." Yang looked back at the two other Yangs behind them, both looking out over the water with matching lavender eyes. "They were the most important to me, so they survived. All the others... well, you saw the fog, right?"
"Yang..." Blake had to fight to keep her voice from cracking, "What's important is that you're here, now. With me."
"But I'm not the girl you first met. Not anymore. That life died two months ago." Yang looked out over the water, eyes beginning to bubble with tears. "I'm not the same Yang..."
"No one said you had to be! I don't care if you lost a few memories, you're still Yang! My Yang!" Blake was now gripping the taller girl by the shoulders and looking her square in the face. "Your memories are just that... memories. They aren't you."
Yang reached up and placed her hand on Blake's head, her fingers gently rubbing Blake's ribbon. "If I reached into your head and pulled out your memories of living with the White Fang, ...would you still be you?"
"You and I both know that I'd be better off for it!" Blake didn't even hesitate with her answer, "As much as the pain and heartache drives me to live my life my own way, I would trade all of it in a second for the chance to have a normal, peaceful life!"
"Blake..." The blonde's eyes were uncertain. This was an unexpected reaction, apparently.
By this point, both other Yangs had gathered so that Blake was essentially speaking to all three. "I know it's got to be harder without knowing where you came from or what drives you. I won't pretend to know what you're going through, even a little. But I do know this... you are who you chose to be. Your memories do not define who you are right now." The faunus had started pacing without even noticing. "It did scare me to think that you lost a few memories back then, but that was only because they might have included events with me! I was scared for myself! I couldn't bear the thought of you losing what we had... what we have."
Now the tears started, and Blake quickly reached up to block them with her palms, "And when I think that this whole mess might have been my fault..."
"Oh, Blake..." three sets of arms quickly encircled the faunus as her legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. The four girls simply sat there for a few minutes, allowing Blake the time she needed to let out her tears. The heat of the embrace was stifling, but Blake soon relaxed into it. This was Yang, after all. Hot was kind of her thing.
The littlest Yang was closest to Blake's ear as she whispered, "I never blamed you..."
The world faded into white.
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The path was gone. The yellow clouds were gone. Little Yang, pajama Yang, and normal Yang all floated in featureless white. Blake floated right there with them.
Another figure faded into view. This was Yang as Blake had last seen her; in a hospital gown with tubes and wires coming out of her... although this time the tubes simply vanished into the white. This Yang was still unconscious, not stirring in the slightest at her new ordeal.
Little Yang floated forward first, her bright yellow pigtails swaying in no wind. She turned and looked at Blake, saying, "Thanks for saving me back there."
Blake smiled, "My pleasure."
The child faded as she moved forward, her light merging with the still form of the unconscious Yang.
Pajama Yang came next, still looking sheepish, and said, "So-o-o, ...you free next Friday?"
The brunette chuckled, "Heh, that depends on you, I'd say." She knew the hospital would be keeping a close eye on the blonde for a good while.
Yang simply gave a big grin and cooed, "It's a date, then!" The lightly-dressed teen also faded into a mass of light. She merged with the unmoving Yang.
Normal Yang was last, but she hesitated. Blonde hair swirled and swayed as Yang looked at herself, then at Blake, then back at herself again. Each time her face came into view, Blake could see a large amount of doubt and concern. The faunus reached out and grabbed both of Yang's hands in her own. They stared into each other's eyes for several minutes, not saying a single word. Emotions became clear in both gazes; fear, love, anxiety, concern. Blake squeezed Yang's fingers.
"I believe in you."
Yang sighed. That was what she wanted to hear. She smiled a half-smile, then leaned forward to plant one on Blake... and was quickly stopped with a finger over her lips.
"Save it for when you wake up, ...hot stuff."
Yang grinned her trademark grin, then turned and (rather quickly) dashed to her unconscious self, dissolving into a mass of light and merging with the body.
The white faded to black very... very slowly. Blake had plenty of time to stare at the fading image of Yang before the darkness overtook her senses.
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In the instant before it all faded out, the faunus caught a glimpse of two small, flickering lights in the distance; one red and one white.
A single emotion spanned the unimaginable distance between Blake and the two lights.
Grief.
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Blake noticed several things all at once.
First, she was still sitting in the chair of Yang's hospital room, leaning over onto Yang's bed.
Second, she had been either crying or drooling, as the sheets under her face were sopping wet.
Third, a hand had quickly reached under her chin and grabbed her by the shirt collar. It quickly dragged her up and over to Yang's face.
Everything after that was ignored as Yang's kiss exploded through her brain.
[ LATER THAT MORNING... ]
The door blew open as a dark shape whirred inside the room. Rose petals scattered everywhere. "Yang! You're awake!"
One hand lifted slowly, "Good morning to you too, sis..." Yang gave a weak smile.
There were no words for the next several minutes. The sisters merely held each other, the smaller of the two bawling her little eyes out. Yang simply let her have some time. "I'm so happy... *sniff* you're awake... *sniff* I didn't know what I'd do if... *sniff* ...I lost you too..."
A hand reached down and tugged Ruby's chin up, aiming her watery eyes at Yang's. "I'm right here, Ruby. I'm always right here with you." She lowered her face, gazing intently into silver eyes. "No matter what happens to me, I'm always with you... okay?"
A fresh wave of tears followed as Ruby buried her face in Yang's lap, gasping intermittently. Yang quietly stroked her sister's dark red hair, trying to be ...some kind of comfort. It seemed to be working, too... the smaller girl seemed to be getting a bit quieter with each passing minute.
Almost an hour passed without either teen moving from their spots. Yang started to wonder if Ruby had fallen asleep.
"I can't keep this team together without you, sis..." the younger girl sniffed as she sat up, eyes red and puffy. "I just can't... I..."
"Well ...technically it wouldn't be a team without me, now would it?" The blonde broke into a wide grin and poked Ruby in the forehead playfully.
"Ya-a-a-ang! I'm trying to be serious here!" She couldn't hold back the grin, however. Both girls began laughing, a much-needed release of tension that had been building up for far too long. Ruby had come in with a short list of questions for Yang, and at the top of the list was Do you remember anything yet? Ruby now saw there was no need for such a question. The underlying tension and uncertainty that had plagued the blonde's every move was gone. The redhead was beside herself at the realization that Yang was back, memories or no memories. She had found her sister again.
[ AT THE SAME TIME... ]
The lake was perfectly still and flat, like a great mirror that showed everything in perfect detail. Blake and Weiss stood next to each other looking out over it, both silent for different reasons.
Blake had realized the meaning of the two colored lights at the end of the dream, and soon after had invited Weiss for a walk. The heiress would have normally refused such a thing, but this time she accepted. Blake could clearly see that something still bothered her, but chose to keep her thoughts to herself for the time being. Better to let such things come out on their own rather than be forced. She knew Weiss was hurting, but she wasn't certain why... yet.
"How's Yang?" the heiress said, breaking the silence.
"Alive and kicking, as usual," came Blake's response. She smiled at the thought of the half-hour they spent after Yang had woken up...
"Well, that's ...good. ...Yeah, good." Weiss looked around in a mild panic, her thoughts struggling to find a meaningful thing to talk about.
"Weiss..." The brunette walked over and stood directly in front of the heiress, understanding slowly dawning in her mind. "I'm not mad at you."
Ice-blue eyes darted to the side, too ashamed to make contact. "Well you should be..." she muttered, "This was all my fa-"
"No... If anything, you should be mad at me. I'm the one who misunderstood everything, okay?. I'm the one who got mad for no reason. I'm the one who... who almost..." Blake shuddered at what could have been, clutching her arms to her side. "I'm so sorry, Weiss..."
The heiress looked ready to cry, "Dammit, Blake... Here I am trying to find a way to say sorry to you and now you beat me to it."
"..."
"..."
Weiss put her hand to her forehead, a clear sign of her getting a headache, and sighed loudly. "Ha~ah... look at us. All we're doing is blubbering like little kids."
Blake nodded, then put her hand out and offered, "Truce?"
Weiss considered it for all of a second before taking the hand and shaking it, "Truce."
[ EPILOGUE ]
Yang had Blake in her arms. That was all that mattered at that moment.
It was late at night and most of the students of Beacon Academy were asleep right now. All but one blonde brawler, anyway. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Blake Belladonna were all asleep, the former two in their own beds and with very peaceful expressions on their faces. Thinking back, this was probably the best sleep any of them had gotten in a long time. Yang herself was in the bottom bunk with Blake (and no one dared say anything about it), her free hand gently stroking Blake's exposed cat ears. They were warm to the touch, and so soft that the blonde simply could not get tired of petting them. She smiled as a soft, low rumble emerged from the brunette's throat every few minutes. She didn't get to hear Blake purr very often, but it was thrilling when it did happen.
Most of Yang's memories were still gone, but the three important ones remained. They were the ones she and Blake had recovered together.
She remembered her search for her mother and how it had nearly killed both her and her baby sister. She remembered the first night team had RWBY spent under the same roof, in spite of the fact they were all bickering at the time (and they technically weren't a team yet). Both of these events were vital in shaping how she would walk into her future, and Yang made sure to reflect on them regularly from now on.
And she would definitely remember the night of their confession. The sensation of their lips meeting for the first time was something Yang would never let go of.
Yang Xiao Long had almost fully reconstructed her old self with the help of friends, family, and loved ones. While she still had a long way to go, she knew without any doubt that she would be fine. She had her sister, her best friend, and her lover on the same team - how could she fail?
She was not the old Yang, for that was another life.
As for who she was now... all she could do was walk down that road and find out what lay ahead.
At least I won't be going at it alone. The blonde leaned over and pressed her lips to the brunette's forehead and smiled as Blake broke into a sleepy grin. She settled into the sheets, wrapped her hand around Blake's shoulder and buried it in her long, curly hair, then gently fell asleep.
Whew... that's over.
Well I think it's safe to say that this was a fun ship to write for. They do make a cute pair... and if I understand various internet rumors correctly, this pairing might just end up as canon... (apparently an unnamed character will be revealed as belonging to the LGBT community - I know who I'm guessing it'll be)
Regardless, this was a fun story to write and lots of love to everyone who favorited and followed it... especially to all the reviewers. You guys rock!