A/N: Here's another chapter by my wonderful writing partner, Kitty Lux! One last loose end before the real journey begins; a long, long journey. Anyway, huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far; the support really goes a long way. For news on our upcoming original projects, and for more Bumblebee, RWBY, Blake, Yang, and gayness, follow us on Tumblr ej-the-cat and luxsp. And with that, I shall take my leave. Enjoy the last chapter of what is essentially the prologue to this tale.

Well that went better than expected...

While Yang hadn't exactly lied to Blake when she said that Taiyang wouldn't ever go against her wishes, and certainly would never hurt Blake, the thought crossed her mind nonetheless. Even someone with a father as understanding and forgiving as her couldn't have expected wholesome, unconditional acceptance.

She figured she'd at least need to fend off some harsher questions, maybe break out the puppy dog eyes that she used to be known for before Ruby stole her crown. But no, Taiyang, despite being justified if he did reject Blake, did not. Instead, he had invited her into his home, treated her like any of Yang's friends from Signal, and offered her sanctuary from a world of cruelty he knew all too well.

Of course, it wasn't without curiosity, questions, a need to help her. Yang's altruism wasn't inherent – it was learned. And it was that curiosity, that altruism, and that need to be a father – a father that Blake might never have had – that lurked beneath his steel blue eyes as they followed the girl as she disappeared up the hall. Those eyes promptly shifted back to Gambol Shroud, briefly wondering what kind of stories both swords had to tell before Yang cleared her throat.

"So..."

It was all she said, but it was all that needed to be. Taiyang's gaze moved from the blade to Yang before glancing down the hall and back once again. "So that's the girl, huh?" he finally asked and Yang just nodded. "The one you couldn't stop talking about before the tournament?" She nodded again. "And the one you defended when you lost your arm?" Nothing. Yang shifted uncomfortably, glancing down at the missing appendage.

"Tried to defend," she corrected, having long lost her ability to look her father in the eye. "I'd still have my arm otherwise..."

Her voice was careful, cautious, scared, her words measured yet unsure as she spoke. She really didn't blame Blake for what had happened. She had chosen to jump to Blake's aid, and she had charged in recklessly, and she had gotten her own arm severed by Adam. She had tried to defend Blake. She did that. And it was her own fault that she lost her arm. She had failed. Something she had done way more often than anyone liked to admit back before Beacon's collapse.

But her thoughts weren't necessarily other people's; something Yang had learned over a decade ago now, back when Taiyang blamed himself for what almost became of herself and Ruby. That, too, was Yang's fault, but it didn't matter. Her dad had been the one broken by Summer's death. He was the one who stopped functioning, who couldn't answer his little girl's questions about her mother. If he had just told her what she wanted to know, she'd have never went to find them herself. He took that blame. Thankfully, it led to Taiyang recovering from his loss, and dedicating his life to being the father both of his daughters deserved. A silver lining to Yang's mistake had there ever been one.

"Relax," he simply spoke, easing Yang's mind. "It's not her fault." He let the silence hang for a few seconds before adding, "It's not yours either." That got Yang to finally meet his gaze once more, now stunned and confused. He appeared to read her mind once again, responding to a question she hadn't asked. "I don't think anyone could've been prepared for that monster, least of all two seventeen year olds with way too much emotion going into it. You shouldn't have been put in the situation to begin with, but it couldn't be helped, and we have Cinder to thank for that."

Yang merely blinked in response, a few stray tears falling as she did so and Taiyang averted his gaze temporarily before forcing himself to take in the sight of his once infinitely vibrant daughter crying once more. "Look, I know you don't plan on staying, no matter how much I want you to. But I'm not afraid, Yang. I trust her, and I trust you. It might not be easy, especially after everything that happened between you two, but…"

Breaking away once more, Taiyang reached into his pocket, producing a simple black necklace with a red-spattered white tooth attached. Yang wiped her tears as Taiyang reached across the table, dangling the pendant in offering to his daughter who slowly presented her open palm. After gently lowering the pendant into it, Yang slowly but surely clenched her fingers around the pendant, not quite knowing exactly what she had just accepted.

"I've been looking for it longer than you've been looking for her. I knew you'd be back on your feet eventually, and I knew you'd be following Ruby no matter what. So I got to digging through every closet this house has for it."

Yang rose her now-clenched fist until it was level with her eyes. Relaxing just enough for the tooth to fall loose and dangle free, she inspected it before glancing back across the table toward her father. "What… is it exactly?" she asked, and Taiyang glanced down at the ground momentarily before looking back up, his left hand raising to rub his neck.

"I don't know for sure. It seems to be a Grimm Artifact. Bone imbued with the 'essence of the Grimm'. That is if you believe the cultists. Your mother was fascinated by them. Left this one behind before she… before she left you with me. She said to give it to you when 'the time was right' - said I'd just know it was when your life reached a point where it was never not in danger. And if this ain't that time then I don't know what is… Maybe it'll bring some good luck, at the very least."

Eyelids fluttering shut to hide a sheen of moisture, Yang let out a smile as she brought the pendant closer to her heart at which point they snapped back open, and her grip tightened on the small artifact. Her mind raced as her heart pounded, ached, conflict ran rampant and the pit of her stomach raged against the warmth. How could she accept this? How could her mother disappear for years, and yet still be loved for such a tiny gesture? How did this even start to change a thing? Raven was still gone. Qrow was still on the booze. Taiyang's heart was still shattered. And Yang herself still grew up in the warmth of Summer. No wonder Taiyang rarely spoke her name.

"Wait… Why are you telling me this?" She finally asked, her hand dropping to the table and completely relaxing, letting the pendant fall out and tangle with itself. Her father hadn't spoken about Raven for as long as Yang had remembered. Qrow told her most of what she knew on the way back from that little shack in the forest, and she'd picked up a few extra tidbits from the leads she'd followed to countless dead ends.

"Because Qrow's told you more," Taiyang fired back instantly. "Because you're following in his and her footsteps. Because you'd eventually find out anyway." Two more rapid-fire explanations, each one delivered with more resignation than the last. "But mostly… mostly because she asked me to…."

That last one came out softer, quieter, and for Yang it drove home one simple fact. Despite her mother disappearing for years, despite Qrow becoming an alcoholic, and Taiyang's heart shattering, despite his daughter lacking any memory of her biological mother, despite the conflict, the heartache, the rage… Taiyang still loved her, even without there being a single tiny gesture to prove that she still loved him.

Quickly swiping the artifact and stuffing it in her pocket, Yang stood up from the table, the suddenness grabbing Taiyang's attention, his expression one of confusion and concern. "Err… Thanks, Dad. I just gotta go grab a nap, too. It's tiring flying with one wing." Her lame excuse in place, and Yang made her way down the hall, leaving Taiyang all alone. He let out a sigh, knowing all too well how overwhelming it could be to just so much as think about Raven, let alone to try and figure her out. Seeking a distraction, his hand reached out, grasping the hilt of Blake's dulling blade. After another quick inspection, he made a decision of how to fill the next few hours, and headed out to the grindstone, stopping only to grab his coat on the way.

Yang's thoughts were swimming as she walked down toward the bedrooms and away from her father. It just wasn't fair. Raven didn't deserve half of the love and loyalty she was given by the family she abandoned. Why was she still playing so heavily on Yang's mind even while the blonde was falling apart and had spent the past month or so barely functioning? Why did she still want to search for her? And why did Taiyang still keep his own promises when Raven had broken the most important vows of all - the vows of marriage, love, and parenthood?

It wasn't fair, in fact it was torture. Raven left them, disappearing into the night never to be seen again, breaking more than one heart, and leaving a daughter without her mother. For seventeen years she had stayed away, with no explanation or sign that she actually cared. Now she'd saved Yang's life, but told Qrow that she was never doing it again. Then she actually gives her something, an artifact, something Raven was "fascinated" with, and yet she had stolen Yang's childhood from her, or at least the first half of it.

It didn't make Yang feel loved. It just all added to the betrayal. Why save her only to leave? She wouldn't even be in such a position if Raven had just stayed. A huff left her as her eyes flickered to red. Why was she searching for a woman who had never wanted to be found? Why did she love a woman who clearly didn't care how much she was hurting? Why couldn't Yang just think straight!?

In the next moment, Yang had transformed into her canary form and flew out of the window, spreading her wings and soaring laps around their log cabin, each one growing progressively faster as her rage built. Her injured wing throbbed in pain as she struggled to maintain her balance and, with it, her flight, but she wasn't stopping. She continued, lap after lap the pain built, but the rage slowly seeped out of her as she felt the wind against her tiny body. Suddenly, she let out a pained tweet as she dipped involuntarily, panicking as she tried to compensate for her failing wing with her healthy one.

Just one more lap, a few more seconds, the window was almost back in view. She called out once more in panic and pain, and feared for a few seconds that she'd fall to the ground and transform back right in front of her father. She dipped again, losing altitude as she homed in on the window. At this rate she was going to hit the window ledge.

Flapping her wings desperately, Yang tried, tried and failed, to getting herself back on level with the window. That was until a black bird soared overhead, momentarily grabbing her attention. Equal parts determination and adrenaline suddenly filled her body, numbing the pain in her stump wing as she took a deep breath. Her wings started flapping in unison once more, and she regained altitude enough in those few seconds to slip in through the window.

Yang landed shakily on her feet, stumbling until she reached the nearest wall, her bird form already gone. She was clutching her arm stump, seething in pain but she didn't lambast herself. Instead, she said two words just as soon as she was able. "Thanks, Qrow."

She then took in her surroundings, realising in that moment that she was leaning against the doorframe to her father's room, the one she had been using - and making a royal mess of - for far too long, and also the one that her friend was sleeping soundly in. Albeit with messy bedsheets, while fully clothed, and looking like she'd just won a gladiator tournament and needed one hell of a soak in the tub.

She took a step inside, then another, slowly making her way over to Blake's sleeping body where she reached out with her good arm to push a stray, matted lock of Blake's hair back behind her right ear. Not that it made a difference, she had several more tangled knots, stray locks, dirty and damaged strands. It wasn't as jarring as it should have been, a girl who does typically take the time to maintain her appearance, or at least her health, suddenly looking like… this.

Blake had went days without taking care of herself before, back when she was searching for Roman. Still, knowing Blake's mindset was just the same, if not worse, now than it had been then broke Yang's fragile heart. She gave her sleeping friend a barely-there smile before reaching for the bedsheets and pulling them up toward Blake's shoulders. She also corrected Blake's pillow as much as she could without waking her, an act a lot easier said than done with just one arm.

Truth be told, Yang had been saying that to herself a lot lately. Part of the reason why she had barely functioned in the last few weeks was because she didn't know how. She had just barely figured out how to dress herself and shower without the aid of other people. But Taiyang was still cutting her food up for her, and Yang no longer had the freedom to ride Bumblebee or even play video games. Losing her right arm had taken away so much of her freedom and so many of her hobbies. Deep down, she knew she couldn't even fight.

Yang sighed, finishing the job of tucking Blake in before leaning against the wall and sinking to the floor. "What am I gonna do, Blake? What are we gonna do? I'm scared, confused, I just… don't know anymore. Where's Ruby? Is she safe? Is Weiss? Where were you all this time? What were you doing? How can I possibly help any of you with just one arm? What happens when we're back together? What else awaits us? And when this is all said and done, what the hell do we do with our lives? How can any of us live normally after everything that's happened?"

Amidst her increasingly emotional rant, Yang had failed to notice that Blake had woken up. It was around the time of Yang wondering what good she was with one arm, but the mix of Yang's questions, Blake not truly having any answers, and waking up in alien comfort kept her silent. Then Yang glanced to her right, lilac eyes widening upon seeing Blake's brilliant amber. In response, Blake reached out, calloused fingers running gently over the back of Yang's left hand before slipping beneath it. Their fingers entwined and Blake gave Yang a half-smile.

"We'll figure it out," she said, a promise in her mind but she didn't dare say it out loud. Promises were too fragile to keep these days. Yang squeezed back, smiled back, and nodded.

"I hope so, Blake," she replied and Blake's half-smile became full.

"Good, I could use a little hope."

Yang's own smile became just as full, and their hands squeezed one another's as a content, welcome silence fell upon them both. It reigned for several moments as Blake just lay there, and Yang just sat there, smiling at each other, their hands locked, amber reflecting lilac, and lilac reflecting amber. Neither had had this in so long. And only now did they both realise how much they needed it.

"You should get back to sleep, Blake. You really need it."

Blake knew that to be true. In fact, she was completely drained. Even reaching out to take Yang's hand had been a struggle - one worth every ounce of energy. "Okay," she replied, letting her eyes flutter shut. "But you better be there, too."

Yang gave a hum, confident and knowing, traces of who she used to be. "I'll be right behind ya," she said, and with that Blake nuzzled into Yang's pillow, and felt Yang squeeze her hand one last time, before letting herself fall back into a deep slumber. Yang reclined her head, resting it against the wall and turning her gaze to the ceiling as she just sat there, clinging to the hand of her sleeping best friend as her own exhaustion set in. She didn't fight it as her vision faded and her eyes closed, and seconds later she was asleep.

When Yang woke up, it wasn't with back and neck ache and severe regrets of sleeping against a wall. It was on a mattress, beneath crimson red bedsheets that hadn't been touched in too long. She was cuddled into Ruby's pillow, huddled beneath Ruby's duvet, and the time told her she had slept for over ten hours. She glanced around the room, and eventually found Blake, who was sleeping in bed, Yang's bed. Well, her father's bed that Yang had been using since the incident. As for Yang, her father seemed to have found her passed out and promptly brought in to Ruby's mattress and bedsheets before tucking her in gently like the amazing father he was.

She smiled and stretched right as she heard a knock. Speak of the Devil. She gave a simple tired grunt to let whoever it was in, half expecting her father to be bringing her breakfast in bed or something. Instead, Qrow stepped in, and Yang pushed herself up with her one hand, looking over to him in shock.

"So this is your last day on this side of Vytal, huh?" he asked as he uncapped his flask and took a quick swig.

"At least until we find Ruby and Weiss," she responded and Qrow gave a single chuckle.

"And at most?"

Yang didn't respond to that. She didn't dare to. She had never been able to comprehend the worst case. Sensing his niece's hesitation, Qrow simply moved on, turning his gaze to where Blake was still sleeping soundly. "Well you found the one that didn't want to be. Shouldn't be too hard finding the girl in the diamond encrusted mansion, and Ruby is not your mother. You won't need my help finding her, but I have my leads if you want 'em."

"Yeah," Yang responded. "Yeah, thanks. We're thinking of heading to the Schnee estate first, though."

"I believe that's just called Atlas."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Come on, Qrow, at least pretend you're taking this seriously."

"I am," Qrow assured. "Look, Schnee might not own Atlas itself, but that doesn't change the fact they're all over it. Be careful out there. Ironwood knows first hand how much Weiss' father hates people who try to take his girls away from him."

"So, any particular reason you stopped by?" she asked, ignoring the obvious elephant.

"One last farewell." Qrow sounded almost sad, worried. Then again, his niece whose arm had just been chopped off was now going out there to fight the same monsters with one hand that she couldn't even take with two. "I don't know how often I'll be in Vale once you leave, honestly. I've got my own leads to follow now that…" Qrow stopped, then met Yang's eyes. "Just stay safe for me, okay, Firecracker?"

Yang nodded. "You'll see me again," she promised and Qrow smiled at her.

"Then bring me back a souvenir." He took another sip from his flask before he heard the door go, his head turning to register the sound. "That'll be Tai. Come on, get ready, he's been slaving over the stove all day." Yang nodded and started to get up before glancing at Blake. "Don't worry about her. Tai said to just let her rest. He'll make more once she's caught up on all those lost nights." After a short moment of silence, Yang's focus clearly on her sleeping partner, Qrow spoke up once more. "I'll leave you to get ready."

Yang nodded, letting Qrow excuse himself before getting changed and kissing Blake on the forehead. "Rest up, Blakey. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

In the hour that followed, Yang had breakfast and grabbed a shower. It took several more before Blake finally roused from her slumber, finally grabbing her own before slipping into Yang's Hunter outfit in lieu of her own clothes. She walked out of the bedroom, and Taiyang kept his promise, making her a breakfast to rival Yang's. Qrow had made himself scarce before Blake woke up, knowing better than to add his presence when Blake was scared enough of Taiyang's.

Finally, she finished, and she and Yang packed up a few supplies before Tai offered them some Lien road. Yang accepted before Blake could say no, and Taiyang returned the newly sharpened Gambol Shroud, the barrel also cleaned out, with a few clips of Dust for the road. She thanked him, saying she didn't deserve his hospitality, to which Taiyang assured her she deserved that and more, and the duo headed out.

Their first stop, both agreed, would be an inn on the outskirts of Vale. They'd stay under the radar, and with luck might have gotten a ride out of Vale itself. At the very least it was somewhere safe and private, somewhere Taiyang knew with someone Taiyang trusted. They'd be safe there to figure out their next move.

But it wasn't the concept of what lay ahead that had Yang pause at the edge of the forest and look back at the cabin she'd called home for seventeen years. It wasn't even the artifact bundled up in her pocket, that a part of her wished she could just leave on the ground and forget all about. It was in fact what she had actually left behind. There, in Taiyang's room, attached to a mannequin's arm, lay the epitome of who she used to be.

Ember Celica…