
A Fresh New Start
"So you must be Blake, from what Ruby told me, you're Yang's friend."
"Ah, yes I am." Blake shook her hands with Tai, who was visiting Yang at the hospital. Yang was just sitting up on the bed eating breakfast. Blake was wearing her bow just for her safety at the hospital.
"Thank you. Just, uh... Yang can be a bit... much. Hope you're okay with that."
"Dad!" Yang complained. Making Blake giggle.
"I don't mind. Yang's been amazing. She and Weiss saved me." Blake smiled. She looks back at Yang who has a grin on her face. Blake doesn't know how Yang can be so happy and calm after what just happened.
Though Yang did tell her that she only remembers waking up on the road under her own blood, and that was it. So Yang didn't have the chance to experience the trauma, and honestly, that is relieving.
"Yang don't eat so fast!"
"Buh um stauvung!" Yang spoke with her mouth full, making Ruby roll her eyes. Then Yang started choking to where she had to chug down her juice. Ruby was dying from laughing while Weiss just didn't look amused.
"You're such an idiot..." Weiss mumbled. Making Yang laugh. It did make Blake smile, for only a bit. She hugs herself, thinking about the day she saw Yang in the hospital bed looking so... dead. Blake is the reason for all this. If she hadn't let Yang come over... none of this would've happened.
"UGhhhhhh I just wanna be out of here. It's been like... what? A few days since I woke up?" Yang looks at Weiss for confirmation.
"Well you've been asleep for 3 weeks and it's been 4 days since you woke up. So yeah." It honestly still surprises Yang that she was asleep for that long. Blake had to explain why that happened to Yang, since she didn't really pay attention to any of the health class.
"You'll be out of here in no time. When you get discharged, we all can go to your favorite restaurant." Tai smiled. Ruby and Yang got excited and squealed.
"Nice!" Yang gave Ruby a fist bump. Well. She tried too. "Oh, right. Wrong arm." Yang laughs and gave Ruby the fist bump with her left hand.
"Would you two like to join us?" Tai offered. Blake held her hands up as she shook her head.
"No thanks. I would love too but I don't have any money to pay for my own food." Blake apologizes.
"I have to work, sorry. I would love top though. Blake, I can pay for y-"
"No no. It's okay. You've done so much for me, it's enough." Blake smiles. Weiss nods. Leaving that alone. However...
"Well then, it's settled. I'll pay for you three."
Blake turned her head towards Tai quickly, staring in surprise. "W-What?" She stuttered. She tried to make Tai not pay but it was futile. He's as stubborn as Yang... so that's where she got that from.
"You're the best Dad!" Ruby jumped in excitement. Yang smiled.
"Yeah... the best." Yang mumbled, her smile fading away. Ruby and Tai knows why.
"Yang, I thought we talked about this already. I said I w-"
"But you hurt me. A lot. Let's just, talk about something else." Yang interrupts. Leaving Tai disappointed. It felt tense. Blake was... well... she wasn't sure how she was feeling. She's never seen Yang look so... somber and frustrated.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to talk you about your job Yang, if that's okay." Weiss brought up. Yang brought her attention to her close friend.
"Yeah what's up?"
"Well... I would like to put you on a looonnggg vacation. You deserve it, plus, Ruby caught on pretty well." Ruby giggles in the background. Acting all proud. That girl doesn't even drink coffee!
"Are you sure Weiss?"
"Yeah. You gotta worry about yourself now." Weiss smiles. Yang nods. Vacation huh... Yang wasn't sure how she felt about that. She's always been the one to just keep going and not leg anything stop her. But in this case, her new disability, is preventing her from going any further. She has to stop for now.
And Yang doesn't like it one bit. She hates feeling... useless. She has to do something for others. Yang is fine with it. She enjoys it, helping others even if they don't ask for it. Their smiles is what brings happiness to Yang.
"Yang?"
Yang was pulled back to reality when Blake touched her arm. It did startle her bit but she looks at Blake. "Oh- sorry. I was thinking. Did you say something?"
"I just... wanted to let you know that I have to go home soon. I don't know when I'll be able to see you again... so thanks for being a good friend." Blake smiles. She's trying not to tear up.
"Wh-What are you talking about?" Yang looked worried.
"Yang I don't have any transportation. I won't be able to see you at the Cafe anymore. I don't know when I'll see you again. Since I'm not sure if it's legal for you to ride a motorcycle with one arm." Blake can feel her throat tightening up. Tears swell up in her eyes, blurring her vision.
Yang thinks about it before she had an idea. "Why don't you live with us?"
"H-Huh?!" Blake exclaimed, before she covered her mouth in embarrassment from how loud she was. She let her arm fall to get side.
"Yang... you can't just say that and not talk to me about that. It's my house you know that right?" Tai scowls.
"But Dad! She's lived a hard life! She's a... faunus." Yang whispered. Tai stared at Blake in surprise, and she looks back with fear.
"Y-Yang why did you say th-"
"Life hasn't been kind to you has it?" Tai interrupts Blake, who went quiet. Blake avoids eye contact as she hugs herself, her shoulders stiffing up.
"If you help us around the house, then I don't mind you living with us." Tai smiles. Ruby squealed in excitement.
"I- I can't accept this. I'm sorry." Blake bows in apology. "This is too much. I don't even have a job and I-"
"Did I say you had to pay?"
Blake looks at Tai, seeing that he really was serious about this. Blake felt her tears running down her cheeks. Her face scrunches up and Blake covered her eyes, sobbing.
"T-Thank you I- I don't even know what to say..." Blake hiccups.
"You know, I'd give you a hug, but I'm sure everyone would yell at me to stay in bed, but oh well." Yang carefully gets up, pulling Blake into a hug.
"I never leave people alone. Just know that. You will never be alone." Yang smiles. She pulls away, sitting down on the edge of the bed. However, Blake doesn't have a smile anymore. Blake wipes her tears away.
"I've never felt alone anyway..." Blake mumbles. Yang wanted to ask more but didn't want to invade her personal life, so she left it alone. Yang could tell that this made Blake uncomfortable. Is someone stalking her...?
"I'm so happy for you Blake." Weiss walked up to Blake, giving her a hug. "You can have a home for once." Blake nods, hugging back.
"I'll pay you back... I swear." Blake promised. Weiss smiles and pulls away. She was about to say something till the nurse entered the room with some paperworks.
"Ah, Xiao Long. Perfect. I have papers for you to sign. Yang is ready to be discharged. You can take her home anytime you want today." The nurse smiles, giving the papers to Tai before leaving them alone. Yang and Ruby celebrated. Blake was excited for Yang, but she was nervous. When was the last time she's been in a good home...? Certainly not recently. It felt ages.
"Blake, do you want me to take you to your home and I can help you pack up?" Weiss offered.
"That would be great!"
Everyone was in a good mood. Maybe things was going to get better at this point...
"Geez, I can't believe you live in this garbage." Weiss commented as she helps puts all of Blake's clothes in a suitcase.
"I wish my father wasn't so... cruel." Weiss sighs. She feel Blake's hand on her shoulder.
"I'm surprised you would even still call him as a father, with everything he did to you." Blake gestured to Weiss's eye. Blake remembers Weiss telling her that she has a disability where she is blind in one eye. Where the scar crosses over her eye.
"I don't. It's just a habit." Weiss sighs, she was putting Blake's important things in the case. Till she finds something under the mattress.
"Uh..."
Blake looks over before panicking. It's a knife. She quickly grabs it. "I- Ugh. I just don't feel safe here... what if someone broke in...?" Blake pulls her knife out halfway. Staring at the reflection of herself.
"Blake... well, you'll be out of here! So you won't have to worry about that." Weiss brought up the positive. Blake hums.
"Yeah..." Blake places her knife in the case before putting it in the suitcase.
"Are you keeping all this stuff?" Weiss points at the blankets."
"No. Well. Except for that one. But the rest can be thrown away. It's all torn and old." Blake said, picking up her favorite quilt blanket. It's something that her... mother made.
"Okay. I think that's everything. Let's get out of here." Weiss smiles as she picks up the suit case, leaving the room. Blake picks up her suitcase as well, before she left, she stopped at the doorway. Staring at the almost empty room. She sees a stained... dark spot in the middle of her room. Blake looks at her torso before sighing. She closes the door behind her. Finally free from that hell.
"Just... wait. I'll be back soon." A man grins.
"You okay Blake...? I can drive fine! I'm not blind in both of my eyes." Weiss was driving along the road. Blake looks at Weiss.
"Oh- no no its not that. I know you can drive. It's just..." Blake sighs, looking out the window. Watching tree past. "It doesn't feel real. Like... I've lived in that crappy place for a long time... and even before that was also crappy... Its just a strange feeling. Like I'm still in a dream."
"You know he's not going to harm you anymore, right? We put a restraining order on him." Weiss looks over to Blake for a moment before she looks back at the road.
"I know. But I still feel like I'm being watched. Like I'm never alone."
"Is that what you meant at the hospital?"
"Mmhm." Blake hums. There was a brief silence before Weiss broke it.
"Well, now look at you! You get to be with a good friend of mind annnnddd! A good home! How exciting is that!" Weiss smiled. Blake chuckles.
"It is exciting. It's definitely going to be new." The faunus gazes out at the field of grass and land. Out of the pine trees area. Though she then frowns.
"Will I ever see you again...?" Blake questioned. She looks at Weiss who was frowning.
"I don't know. Like I said, I have a job and you know... the Xiao Long family's home is a farm and they live far away. The only way I would be able to visit is by taking a plane, and that's already expensive. So... truthfully, I don't know." Weiss shrugs. Blake thinks about it.
"Didn't you say that you were planning to move out of Atlas, to get away from your family." She questioned. Weiss let's out a sigh. Her fingers tapping on the steering wheel.
"I did say that, didn't I..." The white haired whispered to herself. "I would love too, but I don't even have a clue of where I would want to go."
"Well... when I get the money, I'll travel around the world and you can be my travel buddy." Blake smiles, and she can see that her friend was also smiling.
"Thank you, but I don't think I would enjoy that all that much. I don't like sitting for long periods of time. Yang would 100% be up for that though."
"She would...?" Her faunus ears perks up in surprise. Weiss giggles.
"Oh yes. In high-school she told me about how she wants to travel around the world, explore places and just... see the beauty out there. Plus Ruby was hyping her up about it for the food. For your information, Ruby loves sweet."
"Note taken, but I didn't know that."
"Well you did sorta did just meet Yang like... well. A week before the accident. Plus we've been busy. This is your perfect chance to get to know her more." Weiss brought up. Blake let's out a hum.
"Yang's been texting me about how much she enjoys you. If you've not noticed, she gets so excited whenever you arrive at the Cafe."
Blake giggled at that. "Oh I noticed." To which Weiss laughed. She looks at her passenger.
"Yang really enjoys being around you. Yes, she's a very social person but, Yang also pushes people away if the bond gets too tight. She's has..." Weiss pauses. "-bad history with people." Weiss then started to sound empathetic. "She's been through so much. Yang is just so scared to be left alone again."
"Abandonment issues..."
"Exactly that. She has that. So Yang's been, trying to avoid the chance of that pain happening to her. She's seen what it has done to her family including herself. This is the first time I've seen her so... happy around you."
"Isn't she alway happy?" Blake tilts her head.
"Well. Yes but, not like this. I can tell she puts her trust into you. She texted me a few weeks ago saying that she feels different around you. Like she said that it felt like fate. Like you two were supposed to meet."
"I..." Blake tenses up. "She shouldn't put so much trust in me."
Weiss frowns at Blake's words. "Why do you say tha- oh. Blake, your past has nothing to do with this. It's all in the past. You're moving on. Aren't you?"
"I am... but... it still haunts me. I still get occasional nightmares. It's why I've been having a hard time sleeping when Yang was in a coma. All I could think about was just all the blood, the dead, the murder, just... everything bad." Blake tears up. She feels Weiss put her hand on Blake's shoulder.
"It's going to be okay."
Blake smiles. "Thank you Weiss."
"Ah! There it is. We have arrived." Weiss said. Blake looks out the window. Seeing a field of crops. It wasn't huge, and it didn't have a barn but, there was a chicken coop and a stable. She then sees Yang with her family outside, Ruby jumping in excitement as she runs around with... something.
Weiss drives up the long driveway, soon putting her car into park. Yang was waving with a big grin on her face. As soon as Blake got out of the car, she heard barking and Blake let out a yell. She saw a dog. Oh my god.
Blake hissed at the dog, watching it stay back. Ruby frowns. She picks up the Corgi and held up to Blake.
"Zwei likes people don't worry! He's a good boy!" Ruby smiled.
"Keep that mutt away from me please." Blake's ears was folded back. She kept backing up, while Ruby kept getting closer, till she was hit on the head by Yang with the rolled up newspaper.
"Quit that. She doesn't like dogs. Don't harass her with Zwei. And Zwei, leave her alone." Yang scorns. Ruby apologized and the dog walks away to Tai.
Yang the looks at Blake with a smile before hugging Blake. "How was the ride?"
"Long." Blake chuckled. She and Yang brought her bags inside the home. It felt... really strange. There are furniture. It's so clean, and bright thanks to all the windows.
"Here. You can put your bags in my room." The blonde then lead Blake to her bedroom. Yang has a bed with a orange blanket and a pillow which was on the floor. There are posters all over the walls. It's very... dusty too. Yang sighed.
"It's been a while since I came back..." Yang sighed before she placed down the suitcase and stretched. "Feels good to be home though! I'll clean my room up so it's all fresh and clean again."
"You don't have to do that now." Blake said.
"Oh okay." Yang smiles. She then looks at the posters on her wall. "Geez... most of the stuff on the wall isn't even the things I like anymore... oh the days where I was simping over anime males. Boy, how time has changed." Yang laughed. Blake tilts her head in confusion, to which her tall friend notices.
"It's cause I'm into women now."
"Oh. When did you realize if you don't mind me asking?"
"You just asked though."
"Oh whatever."
Yang giggled. She sat down on her bed with her legs crossed. Yang fidgets with an old toy Ruby left in her room as a gift when Ruby was young.
"It was in high-school. I was with Ruby and telling her that she needs to make friends. Making a joke about all the hot boys. I even tried dating some. But it just wasn't working out. Like there wasn't just any sparks. But everytime I interacted with a girl, I could feel myself, getting all happy and... well. Embarrassed. Which by the way, is a hard thing. I never get embarrassed." She explains.
"So you... became gay?"
"Mmhm. It really makes a lot of sense now when I think back. Like, all the signs were there! I can't believe I never noticed it. I guess because it's became a normality where women has to get married with men. Same sex relationship isn't ever talked about. I grew up thinking that was strange but I met a lesbian and she told me about her experience. It really opened up my eyes. Like..." Yang sighs with a smile.
"The freedom to be who you want to be. Male. Female. Both. Gay. Lesbian. Or just not looking for a relationship. Goth. Kidcore. Stuff like that. I never really thought about it. But I'm glad I'm giving myself freedom on who I want to be. What I think is the real me."
"I... wow." Blake was moved. She sat down by Yang. "I never really talked about that kind of stuff with anyone. It just never really became a thing in my life. Till I uh... met a certain guy and basically told me everything that was wrong." Blake sighed. Her ears going back.
"How it was, disgusting that women would date women. Same case with men. Or how humans and faunus shouldn't be together. How disgraceful for a faunus to be different. Not the same. Not the feral type fighting for rights."
"He sounds like an asshole." Yang commented.
"Because he is."
Yang didn't realize just how tense it got in the room. She can see just how much pain Blake was in emotionally when she thought about this... man. "Blake... did he-"
"Yang! Blake! Weiss is leaving!" Ruby shouted from the living room.
"I guess we should go say goodbye." Yang got up, leaving the room.
"Yeah..." Blake took a deep breath before following Yang outside. Seeing Yang pick up the small girl into a bear hug. Weiss was yelling and complaining. It made Blake laugh. Soon she was put down, and Weiss sees Blake.
Blake comes towards her to hug her. "I've said this so many times... but I'll always be graceful for everything you did for me. I'll miss you." Blake tears up. Weiss hugs tightly.
"I'll miss you. If I had to do that again, I'd do it all again for you." Weiss pulls away. Smiling. Blake wipes away her tears, smiling back.
"I'll try to visit during my vacation times. Ruby, don't forget that I'll come pick you up after this week."
Ah yes. Ruby is moving in with Weiss and working together at the Cafe. Well, technically Ruby is going to be living in the small apartment Yang lived in Atlas.
"Got it. Bye Weiss!" Ruby waved. Weiss got in the car. We all waved goodbye as she drove away. Blake lowered her arm.
This is it. She... she'll be living with these people for a while.
"Why dont I make us late lunch? Ruby, you should show Blake around the house. Just don't take too long. Its supposed to rain this afternoon." Tai offered.
"Oh my god yes! I'll do that! Come on Blake! I have to show you my babies!" Ruby grabbed Blake's hand and dragged her away. Yang shouting to not be so rough with Blake. She looks at Tai with a frown before she looks at Zwei.
"Come on Zwei." Yang smiles, walking off to the coop where Ruby was basically making Blake hold a chicken.
"R-Ruby! Wh-"
"That is Butter! Oh! Oh! This is Pumpkin! And t-"
"Ruby." Yang laughs as she leaned against the wooden fence. Blake and Yang made eye contact. Yang shrugs.
"Ruby and I raised chickens growing up. She did all the work though. She took care of the chicken mostly by herself. Raising the chicks and feeding them. Now they're apparently her 'children'"
"Because they are!" Ruby pouts while holding the chicken in her arms. It made Blake giggle. She sets Butter down. Watching it run off back inside the coop.
"I used to raise animals as well. My family and I had pig, sheeps, anything really."
"WHOAAA!!! Thats really cool! Can we visit your family?!" Ruby exclaimed. Yang chuckles till she noticed the non-existent smile on Blake's face.
"Blake...?"
"The barn was destroyed. Burned. My home was burned. All the animals died."
This... got dark. Yang and Ruby stood there, looking at each other not knowing what to say. Ruby felt guilty for asking that.
"I- I'm sorry"
Blake smiles at Ruby. "It's okay. You didn't know." Yang looks at Blake.
"You don't have to answer this but... was this... the attack that forced most of the Faunus to an small town?" Yang questioned. Blake nods.
"Yeah... my family used to have a large farm, but that got destroyed by humans and we just, had to get away. They moved to Menagerie... while I..." Blake pauses.
Yang sees Blake's hand trembling. She decided to change the topic immediately. "Hey! Why don't we go show her our horses?" Yang asked. Ruby jumped in excitement before she left the coop, running off to the coop, Zwei barking as he ran by Ruby.
"She's... a lot isn't she?" Blake questioned. Yang chuckles as she opens the gate for Blake. Closing it afterwards.
"She's been diagnosed with ADHD so... yes. She is." Yang smiled. Blake smiles a bit. But after that talk, her mood was just... down. Yang brought Blake to the stable. Seeing Ruby petting a red horse.
"Cresent! I love you sooo much!" Ruby squealed. Yang sighed. " we have some horses and when Ruby and I was young, we went riding a lot with our family. It was a lot of fun. That's Cresent, the red horse. It's Ruby's horse. Thennnn this..." Yang walked up to the stable, seeing a horse head stick out. Yang pets the snout. It's a blonde horse. "Man I need to brush your mane again... its all messy again. Anyways this is Ember." Yang smiles. Blake blinks, then noticed that Yang was gesturing her to come close. To which Blake did, then felt Yang hold her hand to move towards the snout. Blake gently pets. A smile formed on her face.
"Wow..." was all Blake could say.
"I'd be happy to teach you how to ride a horse. Actually... I remembered that my dad told me that our mother's horse had a foal. She doesn't have a name yet but..." Yang looks over the few stables before she finds the black horse.
"Ah there she is." Yang leans over the gate. Smiling. Blake looks.
"Are you saying that you'd want this to be my... horse?" Blake questioned.
"Up to you. You don't have too but, we do a lot of traveling sometimes. For funsies." Yang looks at Blake. Curious to what she would say. Blake stares at the horse.
"Is it okay if I can... enter?"
"Oh sure! Just be careful. I don't think she's had a lot of interaction with humans."
"Well. I'm faunus so maybe it'll be different... ish?"
"Oh right. Sorry." Yang laughed nervously. Blake enters, seeing the horse wake up from her slumber. She stares at Blake, standing up. Blake took a deep breath. She held her hand out, putting them on the snouts, gently petting.
"Oh. She's cool. Sweet. That makes it easier. I was worried she'd freak out." Yang commented. Blake smiles.
"Yeah. I'd love to have her. Gambol." Blake smiled.
"Gambol? Intresting... gonna have to look that up later. Why don't we feed the horses before we head back inside. Tai said that it'd rain soon." Yang said. Ruby was already thrown hay over the fence. Yang and Blake were getting an arm full of hay, soon giving it to their horses.
"Uwahh! It's raining! Cold cold cold cold!" Ruby's voice fades away as she runs off to the house. It made Yang laugh.
"Unless you like the rain, I'm running back to the house." Yang said as she ran off. Blake ran off with Yang. Absolutely hating the rain. They entered the home in time before it really started pouring.
"Damn... when was the last time it rained this hard?" Yang questioned as she looks out the window.
"It's been a while. Also Ruby slow down!" Tai scorns. Ruby was stuffing her face with her sandwich. She apologized with her mouth full, to which Tai sighed.
"Ooo sandwiches..." Yang went to the counter and grabbed a sandwich. Eating it. Blake sorta stood there.
"Are you going to eat?" Tai questioned. Blake shook her head.
"Oh no no. I'm okay. I don't eat all that much." Blake responded... as if that was normal. Yang swallowed her food before she looks at Blake with a suspicious look.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh. Well. I don't want to get fat. I don't need people getting grossed out by me."
"Blake its okay. Plus it's okay to be fat. I wish people didn't see that as a negative thing! It's so annoying!" Yang finishes her food. She shoves a sandwich to Blake.
"Eat. I'll be right back." Yang said before she walked off to her bedroom. Blake looks at the sandwich before sighing. She ate it begrudgingly.
"Did someone tell you that?" Ruby questioned, her legs swinging around while sitting on the chair.
"Mmhm. Yeah. Sorry I thought it was healthy to not eat as much. I'm trying to break that habit, because I know how much it harms me." Blake said. Finishing her food.
"Oh. Well. At least you know it's bad! Weiss was really bad with that."
"Weiss?" Blake immediately looks at Ruby.
"Wellll... yeah. She's told you about her family right? They made her believe about the whole eating less and stuff."
"So she had an eating disorder in one point of her life?"
"Yeeep! But thanks to me and Yang! We broke it for her!" Ruby grins. Blake let's out a huh. She didn't know that. Suddenly Blake heard a shatter.
"Yang!? Are you okay?" Tai called out. About to rush to Yang's room till Yang responded.
"Yeah! I'm okay. I accidentally dropped something!"
"Okay... Why don't you two check on Yang for me. I doubt she'd want to talk to me if something is wrong." Tai frowns. Blake and Ruby nods and went to Yang's room. Seeing glass on the floor.
"Excuse me..."
Blake sees Yang behind her with a broom to which Blake moves out of the way.
"What happened?" Ruby questioned. Blake was watching Yang try to brush the glass. It was hard with one hand.
"Oh I just, forgot that I only have one hand and dropped it when it fell." Yang shrugs. Till she saw Blake grab the broom.
"Let me do this." Blake said. Brushing the glass and throwing it in the garbage. Yang wasn't sure how to feel about this.
"Thanks... but I had it."
"I know. But I made it easier for you." Blake smiles. Yang gave Blake a quick smile. Yang then felt Ruby poking at Yang's amputated arm. There was still bandages around the tip but it was temporary.
"What does it feel like?" The girl asked. Yang turned her arm away from Ruby's poking. Finding it sensitive.
"Uh... strange I guess. It feels like it's still there but at the same time, it feels like nothing. I don't know how else to explain." Yang shrugs.
"Huh. Cooooooll...!" Ruby exclaimed. "Does this mean you can get a robot arm?!"
Yang laughed. "I think you've been watching too much action movies."
"And?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. Yang rubbed Ruby's hair, making her complain.
"That would be cool but no. I don't know if I'll get a prosthetic. They're pretty... expensive and, I dunno. I just need time." Yang answered. Ruby nodded. Blake frowns.
This was all her fault... Blake has to make it up somehow. Just what...?
"Ruby, have you shown her around yet?"
"Ah! Crap! I forgot about that!"
"Christ, Ruby." Yang chuckles. She gestured Ruby to go on. "I'll be unpacking. I'll unpack your bag if that's okay." Yang checked with Blake.
"Yeah. That's okay." Blake smiles. Ruby grabs Blake's hand and once again, got dragged away. Making Yang sigh with a smile.
"This will definitely be an interesting year..." Yang talked to herself.