Chapter sixty

Therapy continues

Ruby slowly moved her legs through the water of the pool as she took a breath in and began slowly making her way to the other end where Blake had her feet dangling in the heated water.

Haven's indoor pools were empty since most of the students and faculty were in Amity Colosseum. The few that weren't were either out on missions or had opted out entirely.

Since Mistral's Huntsman hospital didn't have a dedicated physiotherapy wing, the doctor had recommended for Ruby to use the pools to strengthen her legs as water offered more resistance. Haven and Vacuo both took approaches that tried to blend Western-style physiotherapies with Eastern-style nuances and using nature in tandem with created medicines.

Haven had greatly expanded its aquatic wing in the past few years adding in twenty heated pools ranging in size from small spas to large relaxation pool, an onsen that had been added into the mountains surrounding the campus around natural hot springs, and a state-of-the-art deep dive tank that was used to practice underwater combat.

Ruby had already completed her two hours of physical therapy for the day but she had opted to stay in the water as she felt comfortable in it. The aqua therapy regiment that was recommended for her between sessions helped calm her nerves, increasing her muscle strength, and most importantly regaining her coordination.

She had been slowly adjusting to Haven and all the subtle yet overstimulating nuances that went into living on a new campus as exchange students. The entire team knew that Ruby hadn't completely adjusted yet, and that being an exchange student meant that the process would be repeated at the end of the year when they returned to Beacon as well. Such semiconscious stressors were like dragging sandpaper across the edges of her brain but they were simply a part of her life, the pool and the feeling of the water that constricted her body was a godsend on her nerves. She had floatation devices on so she was able to simulate running as Blake kept a watchful eye on her just in case anything happened.

Blake had been talking to her parents and aunt every day since team RWBY arrived at Haven, and they kept her, and the rest of the team, abreast of the changes that they were implementing in the White Fang. It was becoming less of a violent, reactionary force and more of a social force for good like it was always intended.

With the high support that the Faunus were still enjoying in Vale and even the allowing, under strict probationary terms, of the White Fang into Vacuo for the first time under Sunstone's direction, the continued plots of violence by the most radical and stubborn of the internal factions was becoming a liability in the face of so many coming together to build bridges between their two peoples.

Sienna had handpicked a team of prominent young members to go to Vacuo as first years, Sunstone would not budge on that, but also as representatives of the more moderate Faunus within the White Fang. A difficult assignment of weighty responsibility given recent events, but Ghira, Kali, and herself couldn't be the only ones representing a more moderate White Fang while the remnants of radicalism kept pursuing their own personal vendettas as well sowing discord and doubt towards their species.

"Blake, Blake? Are you listening?" Ruby asked as she softly tugged on Blake's leg causing her girlfriend to shake her head as she looked down.

"Sorry, Ruby I was just thinking about things in Vale. Do you want to get out of the pool for today?" she asked as she started to stand up.

Ruby shook her head and blushed lightly. "I… well I was going to ask if you wanted to get in and do some swimming with me."

Blake felt the heat in her cheeks as she watched Ruby's hopeful silver eyes. They were their normal stormy, dark, silver color now. Not the color that they had had when she had been forging Shattered Rose.

"I'm sorry, Ruby I didn't bring a swimsuit with me." before Ruby could deflate, she quickly spoke on. "But I'll bring one next time. In fact, if you want we could ask Weiss and Yang if they'd like to join us?"

Ruby considered it for a second before nodding happily and going off for another lap, running in slow motion through the water. "Join you two for what?" Yang asked as she walked in with Weiss. They both dropped the gym bags they had on the floor with two thumps.

They were both in sports bras and shorts of their respective colors. Weiss had put her hair up in a regular ponytail instead of the side ponytail she had worn until the concert while Yang's prosthetic was in the blonde's other hand. They were both covered in sweat and, contrary to what one might expect, Weiss looked even sweatier than Yang did.

"Oh, Ruby wants us to join her in the pool next time. I said we could ask you two and see what you both said," Blake said before she sat down again and Weiss sat next to her.

Yang just put the prosthetic arm down next to Blake before she proceeded to back up and do a running cannonball into the pool, soaking Blake and Weiss in the process. Blake hissed in annoyance while Weiss didn't even yell at her. Instead, she opted to just sigh and leave again to get towels for all of them.

When Weiss came back she shot a glare at Yang, who shrugged and smiled, before she sat down next to Blake. "So, Weiss how was Yang's session with the personal trainer?" Blake asked as she watched Ruby splash her sister with water.

"The first hour was completely normal. He had her switch between her left and right arms on the speed bag and those heavy fifty-pound bags on chains that Yang likes to beat on. They meditated for twenty minutes or so as she calmed her mind when Yang's eyes flared red. The last hour was more… chaotic."

"Oh boy, what did she do?" Blake asked with a slight smile which caused Weiss to playfully smack her arm and move her hand down.

"Why do you think I'm dressed like this?" Weiss asked rhetorically.

An Hour Earlier

Yang panted softly as the punching bag stopped creaking on the chains that held it to the ceiling. She had been going at this for an hour and while it was what she was recommended to do by her personal trainer she wanted something different.

"Hey, Weiss. You up for a little hand to hand sparring?" she asked her frozen counterpart who had experimentally picked up and proceeded to toss a fifteen-pound weight ball.

"Yang, you know I'm not the best at hand to hand combat. Besides, you should be doing your exercises," She told her as she rolled the ball back to where she had picked it up.

"Please? I've been doing this for an hour and you know that since you've been here the entire time. It would be helpful for both of us."

"Fine. Just don't go all Burning Dragon on me," Weiss muttered as she used a nickname that she had thought up for Yang.

"Burning Dragon huh? I like it," Yang complimented as Weiss moved to her gym bag and pulled out her sports bra and a pair of shorts, stammering all the while.

Weiss left to change while Yang moved the equipment out of the way and made sure nothing that couldn't be moved was in the way. She made sure that the 'sparring arena' was covered in mats to cushion the falls they'd have.

Once Weiss was back Yang dropped into a stance that she had borrowed from Tai and Weiss imitated her as best she could.

Yang paused and looked at her prosthetic arm for a long moment before she disconnected it, laid it at her feet, and lightly kicked it away.

"Yang, you don't need to do that," Weiss told her as she watched, faint puzzlement in her eyes.

"It's fine, I'm just looking to spar with you. Not looking to have a serious fight. Besides, Weiss, I don't need it to lay you out," Her voice became teasing with a hint of challenge in it.

Weiss smirked as she observed her flaming other half. "We shall see." That was all the warning that Weiss gave before she threw the first punch.

Yang smiled as she brought her arm up to meet Weiss' before she swept her leg across the surface of the mats and knocked the fencer onto them before offering her hand. "I told you I wouldn't need my right arm."

Weiss snorted and made two glyphs, not as quickly as she could with her sword, but Yang let her as she stood up, put her left foot on the glyph behind her before she shot into the air and aimed straight downwards at Yang's head. Yang lifted her arm and lightly grabbed Weiss' punch and softly guiding her onto the mat before she smirked. "That's twice, Ice Queen."

Weiss' eyebrow twitched as she got up and aimed punch after punch at Yang, who either absorbed the blows with her arm or just dodged altogether which only made Weiss mad. Blow after blow hammered Yang's arm since Weiss was very deliberately keeping her focus there as she tried to get Yang to respond, but the blonde was being pure defense.

Finally, Weiss tried something different. She activated a time dilation glyph beneath herself while a time constriction glyph was activated below Yang, who was curious in seeing what Weiss would do, let it take effect.

Weiss moved at double speed and maneuvered herself inside Yang's guard and did the same trick that Yang performed on her sending her girlfriend onto the mat.

Once both glyphs wore off Yang picked herself up. "Nice trick. But now… now I'm done just being a wall," She went to where her prosthetic had stopped and put it back on with a soft click. After returning to their beginning stances, Yang launched forward and hit Weiss' arms with punches that were far weaker than usual but they still knocked Weiss on her butt. "That's three to one."

Weiss feigned annoyance in her voice. "Yes, I'm aware. Thanks for letting me know," She got up and the flurry of blows continued back and forth until one of them got knocked down.

By the end of the hour, Yang had put Weiss on the mat ten times while she had been knocked down twice more. Both flopped onto the mats and stared at each other. "Wow, that was so much fun," Weiss whispered as she looked at Yang.

"It really was. Your punches are surprisingly strong for someone who is so small." Yang looked back with a small smile.

"Excuse me?" Weiss asked with narrow eyes, holding back her natural indignation at such a remark.

"It was a compliment," Yang replied with a teasing wink.

Weiss rolled her eyes. No doubt it would take time to train the deliberate poking with inappropriate remarks out of her girlfriend. If such a thing was even possible. "That's how I'll take it then. This time."

Once they had caught their breath Yang sat up and offered her hand to Weiss who took it. They both stood up before Yang lowered her head to give Weiss a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for indulging me."

"Of course, love. Now let's go find our sisters," Weiss told her as Yang nodded.

"I see. Sounds like you two had fun then," Blake said as the two sisters moved closer to their respective girlfriends with a mischievous glint in their eyes. On an unspoken signal, Yang and Ruby pulled them into the pool while cackling their heads off.

Once Weiss and Blake resurfaced, they shot soft glares at the two before looking at each other and splashing their teammates.

The Battle of Beacon had left its mark on all of them. It wasn't merely adjusting to Yang having only one arm or Ruby having to spend most of this year regaining her mobility while also training to be an autistic Huntress on top of it. Nor Weiss no longer being a Schnee, which had defined every aspect of her existence and was now the sole human in a Faunus family.

Bearing the name of the family that formed the organization that she had defined as 'absolute evil'. Nor Blake being an only child who was now the sister to someone who she had thought as an irredeemable product of a snobbish and prejudicial household. Now the two loved each other as literal family.

Nothing was how they envisioned their second year would be when they first arrived at Beacon, let alone their future from that terrible point forward. Yet as they were all laughing as they splashed each other like children, it seemed like they would be okay.

Cinder was in some ramshackle inn, out in the middle of nowhere, Vacuo when she heard the oh so familiar sound of one of her master's portals. Long ago, she would've found it comforting but no longer. "Hey there, Cin. Been a while, we need to talk." Raven Branwen had a bottle in one hand and her other rested on her sword.

Things are almost normal with team RWBY as they recover and have some lighthearted fun with each other. Meanwhile, Raven goes to Vacuo where Cinder is...Spring and half of Fall see each other face to face again.

Until Next Time

Dragondeathdrop