Chapter 9: Costumes and Candles

(the day before Halloween)

Taiyang is conspicuously absent from breakfast, though by the dishes left near the sink Yang can tell he's already been up – an early start to his "secret mission." It isn't until almost dinnertime that Yang hears his footsteps crunching up the walkway.

A brisk autumn breeze rushes through the half-formed piles of fallen leaves from the other day, effectively laying waste to all of Qrow's raking efforts. Emerging from their current "battle" against "Evil Unkie Qrow" around the side of the house, Yang spots a beat-up leather satchel hanging off her dad's left shoulder at his side, and two large and similarly aged cloth bags hanging from his right hand, which is also sharing custody of a large square box with his left hand, held carefully in front of his abdomen. The satchel bears a faded insignia that she immediately recognizes from her trip into town with Ruby, and she is fairly certain she knows why he has it.

Following Yang's gaze, Ruby wastes no time in scurrying around her sister and right to his side. "Daddieee! Whassat?" she prods, eyeing the box.

Amused by her ecstatic curiosity, he simply leans down towards her as best he can and half-whispers, "It's a secret… for the mission." He winks at her. She seems to understand, nodding sincerely, and interrupts her wide-eyed stare with a "wink" of her own (using both eyes at the same time).

Taiyang disappears inside with his secret goods, and Ruby follows him at a safe distance, as if wary of spoiling the secret for herself, but too curious to leave him alone. Qrow sits up from his latest dramatic "death" pose among the leaves, and taps Yang on the shoulder, prompting her to turn around to face him and his suspicious grin.

"You may have defeated me this time… but I'll get you next time!" he monologues, throwing up a bunch of leaves between them and scrambling to his feet. His lanky limbs flail about as he slips a bit, struggling to move past her and towards the front door. Yang just laughs, appreciative that her uncle could, at times, be just as silly as surly. Catching her breath, she does her best to remove the loosest of the leaves from her messy golden mane and takes off after him, suddenly determined to beat him to the door.

He seems to think he's already won, and is at a more relaxed pace - so she'll surprise him and zoom around his right side. They're almost there, when-

Thmp.

A dull pain quickly begins to register in her forehead and tailbone - she's now sitting awkwardly on the ground behind him, momentarily shocked.

He reacts slowly as well, registering her collision with his right elbow, which draws his gaze away from where it had been when he had stopped so suddenly. In the short moment before the need to fight back tears overwhelms her senses, Yang tries to follow his gaze, but only sees their front walkway, and their mailbox, on which a large blackbird is perched rather ostentatiously. But then she has to respond to the pain, and squeezes her eyes shut, tearing up and whimpering slightly as she rubs her forehead.

"Yang, are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't…" Qrow rounds on her, voice full of concern. He bends down, trying to assess the damage, but she looks up into his wider-than-usual eyes, and nods shakily. If she's being honest, the pain doesn't actually bother her that much - the suddenness of the collision is what seems to have shaken her more. She rubs her tailbone tenderly and grabs her uncle's outstretched right hand with her own, borrowing his strength to rise back to her feet.

He places his left hand gently on her shoulder as she steadies herself, and keeps looking at her, seeming a touch surprised - impressed, even - before glancing back over his shoulder towards the mailbox, and then back to Yang. He closes his eyes briefly and lets out a small sigh. "Sorry about that. I guess I managed to get back at you after all… but you're strong for your age. Looks like it'll take more than an elbow to beat you…" He looks up thoughtfully, as if scanning the skies. After a second, "Maybe I should use my whole arm?" he says mischievously, flexing unimpressively with his free arm.

Yang, determined to ignore the lingering soreness, catches on, and grins maniacally as she dashes past him and into the house, shouting back, "You're on, old man!"

"Hey!" he growls after her.

Once inside, Yang halts almost as suddenly as Qrow had seconds earlier. She catches sight of Ruby gawking at a mess of assorted leather armour pieces scattered around the living room, apparently having been unloaded from the two tattered bags their father had been carrying, now empty and discarded in a corner. As if the sight hadn't been enough to stop her in her tracks, a whiff of stale body odour seems insistent on giving her pause as well.

Taiyang is sifting through it all, frantically focused, trying to sort out leather helmets, knee pads, shoulder pads, elbow pads, greaves, vambraces, gloves, boots, chestpieces, belts and straps of all kinds. Eventually he picks up a helmet - a simple hardened cap with a chin strap - and upon closer inspection, grins triumphantly. "Ruby?" he beckons her near, and in the blink of an eye she is right in front of him, an inquisitive eyebrow raised as she tries to watch him put the helmet on her head.

After some disgruntled squeaks and shifting of messy dark hair, he announces, "There ya go! Whaddya think, Yang?" He turns Ruby around to show off her new armour - she fidgets with the clasp of the chin strap, apparently not entirely comfortable.

The sight is so endearing that Yang has to stifle a giggle (at which Ruby pouts dramatically), but she manages to raise her right thumb in approval.

"Mission complete!" Taiyang declares. "I went to Signal today and dug through the old training lockers for some sparring equipment. Most of it is a little big for you girls," he gestures at a breastplate that looks about as tall as Ruby, "but we might be able to make do with some of it. Anything you want to use here for your huntress costumes is yours until after Halloween!" He knocks lightly on Ruby's helmet as if to emphasize his success, but Ruby flinches and furrows her brow, slouching.

"No helmet!" she cries. "Jus' hood!"

After finding what little armour fits the both of them, the sisters proceed to raid their respective wardrobes, but somehow the familiar items within are not exciting or mature enough for either of them, even when Ruby tries on one of Yang's tunics.

Sharing a cautious glance, Yang leads Ruby into their parents' - no, Dad's - room and slowly slides open the mirrored door to the closet.

Several nearly-identical outfits of varying shades of browns and yellows hang ready to go, with a basket full of various small red cloths lying on a low shelf. A transparent lidded box containing all sorts of coloured linens sits next to it, and Yang reaches in to pull it out for further inspection. Though the interior of the closet is dark, she spies something in the far side that causes her to freeze, her breath catching.

She feels a hot pain rise from her belly and into her throat, spreading through her cheeks and into her eye sockets. Her vision blurs, and she feels a torrent of panicked emotion about to-

"Yaaang?" an impatient Ruby tugs at her sleeve. She gasps, snapping back into focus, and swallows hard, squeezing her eyes shut in the darkness of the closet.

No, I can't let her see me like this...

Yang casually pulls out the box and pops off the lid, eyeing the contents absentmindedly. "See anything in here? I'm gonna grab something…" her voice fades away at the end as her curiosity gets the better of her.

She barely registers the shifting of fabrics and the mousey noises of deliberation behind her as she turns back to the closet. Gingerly, she slides the doors from one side to the other, slowly revealing the other half of the closet.

Yang glances up at a single white hooded cape hanging gracefully above a sturdy wooden chest. Seemingly suspended in midair, the bottom of the cape flutters a bit with the changing air pressure, as if breathing fresh air for the first time in ages. The pure white exterior cloth, contrasted by a vivid red interior, seems to shine, even in the evening darkness of the room.

Like a ghost...

Yang feels warmth flood her face, pouring freely out of her eyes. A small warm hand finds its way into her own right hand.

Mom?

Looking down for the source, she has to blink a few times to clear her blurred vision. The face looking back at her is in tears, lips trembling, but there is an unmistakable kindness within those familiar silver eyes. Something pure, and hopeful.

...Summer?

Yang squeezes the hand tightly, afraid to let go of this miraculous connection. Her vision clouds over again and she wipes away her own tears with her free arm.

Ruby stares back up at her, sniffling softly, and gasping for breath. "Mommy?" Her voice is a ghostly whistle through choked sobs.

A modicum of clarity returns to Yang's mind and she pulls Ruby into a tight embrace, feeling her baby sister begin to heave with sadness. Struggling not to do the same, Yang half-whispers, "Yeah. That's…" she hiccups, feeling a familiar pressure in her sinuses. "That was Mom's."

Yang wraps herself tighter around Ruby, her long yellow hair seeming to enclose them in a private world of shared sisterly sadness. They remain that way, clinging to each other in their grief - over the mother they both lost - for what feels like several minutes.

As Yang feels Ruby relaxing, she relents, opening them both up to the world once more. She is about to close the door to the closet again when she hears footsteps approaching, and a voice from just outside the door to the room.

"Girls, are you almost done? Dinner's ready... Girls? Where'd you g-"

Taiyang halts abruptly upon turning into the room, sighting his daughters standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the open closet door. They look back at him with miserable, sheepish eyes - lilac and silver - that betray a hint of fear as well. "...Oh…" he finishes, rooted to the spot.

They see his eyes glance upwards at the white cloth, and Yang tenses up as she sees his eyes start to glaze over.

No… he can't leave us again.

She's about to shout out, something, anything, in desperation, but he closes his eyes and sighs, and she hesitantly relaxes.

"Oh, girls…" their dad breathes, kneeling down to meet them as he approaches. His expression is laced with a familiar sadness, but also sympathy, and a thin, nostalgic smile. He welcomes them both into his own embrace, and after some more shared tears, he lets them go.

"I know this has been hard. For all of us. But y'know what?" he perks up, cautiously, turning his attention back to the open closet. "She loved you both very much, and I think she'd be proud of you both for being so strong for each other, and…" he sighs, "for me."

They share sad smiles with each other, and he adds, "And I think… she'd want you girls to look like the coolest huntresses ever."

He walks past them, leaving them to wonder at his statement. Bending down, he grabs the wooden chest by the handle. Grunting with effort, he lugs the deceptively large container out of the closet. On the front, Yang sees a small label that reads "SUMMER" to the left of a large clasp which currently locks the contents away.

After a pause, in which he simply rests his hands on the chest with a gentleness Yang could scarcely recall witnessing from him, Taiyang carefully unfastens the clasp.

"Well, would you like to see what treasures Summer left behind for you girls?"

Yang looks herself up and down in the mirror, feeling a mix of satisfaction and embarrassment. Next to her, Ruby bounces up and down excitedly, also examining her.

"Coooooollllll!" warbles Ruby, completely smitten with her big sister's chosen huntress attire. Yang feels some of her embarrassment melt away, and smiles at herself reassuringly.

Tying her hair back into bushy pigtails are two scrunchy purple hair ties that complement her lighter purple eyes. A patterned orange scarf wraps around her neck and trails down behind her, almost like a twin-tailed cape. A comfortable beige tunic not unlike her own hangs loosely around her until she ties a purple sash around her waist like a belt. Overtop rests a sleeveless faded denim vest, which gives her an additional sense of toughness. She also wears her own lightweight black pants and thick orange socks.

After some debate, she had also decided to do away with the helmet - she remembered Qrow saying something about modern huntsmen relying more on their "aura" anyways. Still, she dons nearly every other piece of sparring armour she could find in her size - pads on her shoulders, elbows, and knees, bracers on her arms, sturdy boots (a bit too big, prompting her to eschew a comfortable pair of greaves as well) and a pair of thin, fingerless (whether by design or otherwise) gloves. On most of these items a faded or scratched Signal Academy emblem is visible. Yang does her best to cover them in bright stickers of hearts, suns, flames, dragons and rainbows.

She raises her fists in what she imagines to be a fighting stance, furrowing her brow in challenge. Ruby laughs appreciatively, raising her own fists to match her sister but loses a much-too-big shoulder pad in the process.

Ruby had managed to find a simple white bodice among Summer's old clothes that, while too big for her normally, was easy enough to fold and tighten so as to fit her upper body, if loosely. This sits over a plain black shirt patterned all over with red flower petals, and is complemented by knee-length white socks in her tiny black shoes. Tied all over her arms and legs are various ribbons and scarves of varying hues of red, and Yang has to convince her that another scarf around her neck would interfere with her hood. Her own black leggings and one of her red skirts complete the base ensemble.

Very little of the sparring armour brought home actually fits her, and little of what does ends up making the final cut, save for knee pads and a single shoulder and elbow pad sharing her left arm. She gratefully borrows some of Yang's stickers – mostly just hearts and flowers, which she layers generously on her shoulder pad. The asymmetry works well though, Yang thinks, and if not for her sister's doll-like appearance with her childish features (and way too many ribbons), she could probably pass for a real huntress.

Yang can't help but wonder if Dad might have had some of Raven's old equipment or attire, but is not eager to ask, and is happy enough making use of anything of Summer's.

Qrow appears truly astonished when they carefully wander downstairs to show off their costumes. Blinking rapidly, he clears his throat loudly, which grows into a genuine laugh. His expression transforms into one of the broadest smiles Yang has ever seen on him as he claps slowly. "Now that's a pair of huntresses if I ever saw any!" he bellows appreciatively.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yang thinks she sees Taiyang raise a warning eyebrow at Qrow, but when she looks again he's smiling at them both too.

"You both look great. Just wait there a second and let me take some pictures…" he holds up a finger, indicating for them to wait while he searches for his scroll. He fumbles through the Signal Academy satchel he brought home that day, clumsy in his excitement to a degree Yang isn't sure she can remember.

After forcibly smiling through several too many photos and poses (Qrow gets impatient, groaning about having to wait so long for dinner, before going into the kitchen on his own), they all sit down to a hearty (if reheated) meal. Ruby doesn't once complain about her vegetables, and the conversation is lighthearted, mostly centered around their stylistic choices - particularly their choice in colours, as "colour is the core of self-expression," according to Qrow.

As Taiyang begins clearing the plates, his expression softens and he hesitates before breaking the contented silence that had settled over the household. "So… remember that secret mission I told you about?" The girls nod. "It wasn't just to get you costumes."

Yang and Ruby exchange curiously excited glances.

"I spoke with Headmaster Conifer today while I was at Signal. Starting next week, I'll be teaching again!" he explains with a restrained hint of pride in his voice, and a cautiously hopeful smile on his face. "Daddy has a job again!"

Ruby cheers and claps excitedly at the good news. Yang only partially shares the sentiment, smiling along with them, but starts to put the unspoken pieces together.

Qrow, leaned back precariously in his chair with one hand on his belly, smirks. "Well wouldja look at that! Your old man's still got some spark after all," he teases, though the brief but intense look that passes between their father and their uncle speaks to Yang of something less friendly.

The initial excitement dissipates and Yang can't shake the itch any longer - she has to know.

To her surprise, Ruby beats her to the punch.

"Unkie Qrow stay home?" she turns to their greying relative with puppy dog eyes.

Qrow looks legitimately distraught for a moment, before setting his chair down properly and leaning towards the table with a bittersweet smile. "Well… as much as… no, Ruby. I… I can't," he slowly stammers. Then, more somberly, "I'm sorry." He avoids making eye contact with anyone as his expression gradually returns to something more neutral.

Ruby looks almost as heartbroken as when they had opened Summer's side of the closet, but then seems to remember something. "But... tomorrow?" she asks, again with her puppy dog eyes.

He chuckles softly, perking up again. "Of course. I promised you that much, didn't I, kiddo?"

Ruby, immediately placated, cheers again, but Yang struggles to share the sentiment - her hunch has been confirmed. She has questions, but decides not to voice them, for fear of dampening the atmosphere any more tonight.

Taiyang, seemingly bothered by the shift in attention, pipes up again. "Well, it's getting late; you too should start getting ready for bed since we ate so late. Don't think I don't know how late you were up last night," he chides with a knowing smile, eyeing Qrow, who throws up his hands in mock innocence.

"I just gave them a little history lesson, is all. And before we get too far here, your Sunny Little Dragon here still owes me an arm wrestle while she's still dressed for combat," he smirks, narrowing his eyes mischievously at Yang.

The provocative invitation causes Yang to snap out of her pensive state, a fire of determination igniting inside her once more.

"Bring it, old man!" she taunts, ignoring her father's defeated eye roll.

Minutes later they are staring each other down from across the coffee table in the living room.

It always seemed to be a close match whenever they played like this. Sometimes Qrow won, but when it seemed like she needed the win most, Yang would instead. She was beginning to realize he was letting her win all those times, but then… this time is different.

Qrow isn't as muscly as Dad (who never lets Yang win), so it is easier to believe in a real battle between them. She still doesn't get the impression that he is giving it his all, but there is a genuine note of surprise in his expression when they first tense up after the countdown - and she feels a surge of energy too, once Dad and Ruby start rooting for her, shouting over her shoulder.

Then the air grows hot around her and her vision seems to blur as if through a filter of red. Qrow's eyes widen as he looks at her with astonishment and… recognition? His grip falters, if only for a second, and his hand is slammed down on the coffee table.

The adrenaline wears off almost instantly, and Yang's sight is clear once more. Qrow looks at her with a thoughtful smile, rubbing his defeated wrist. "You're getting stronger, Yang. I might not be able to keep up with you at this rate."

She basks in the compliment as her father and sister clap her on the back in congratulations before they all retire for the night.

The next day, Ruby is more energetic than ever. Yang awakens to her name being incessantly sung in the most jovial manner imaginable, and though she feels gross and groggy it puts a smile on her face.

Rising creakily from her awkward spread-eagled slumber, Yang spies her sister bouncing happily at the foot of her own bed. "Happy Halloween, Ruby."

"Mmhmmmmmmm...?" Ruby digs for more.

Yang rolls her eyes affectionately. "Annnd…" Without warning, she launches herself out of bed and towards her tiny sister with fingers flared outwards. Ruby squeaks in terror, the colour draining from her already pale face. "Happy birthday! I have a present for you…"

The tickling is short-lived, as at the supersonic height of Ruby's laughter, Taiyang appears in the doorway inviting them to a deluxe breakfast.

The morning goes by as normal, albeit with an even more hyper Ruby almost literally bouncing off the walls.

They celebrate with an immense pink cake at lunch (which Yang figures must have been in the box Dad brought home), with four red candles lined up between the words "Happy Birthday" and "Ruby" in swirly red letters. Ruby gorges herself on the strawberries and whipped cream that border the top of the cake.

After lunch, Taiyang pulls Qrow aside to "discuss something." Yang and Ruby resume their adventures outside, though the clouds seem to threaten rain, dampening Ruby's mood. "Twickertweet?" she asks the sky dejectedly.

The sky, apparently, is also unable to resist her silver puppy dog eyes. They catch a glimmer of sunset peeking through as the storm clouds blow past, and excitedly don their huntress costumes once more.

The sisters eat their early dinner with gusto, eager to get out to the neighbours' houses (and maybe even into town, Yang hopes) before too late. They make to stand, pushing away their empty plates, when Qrow blurts out, "Hold on a second…" and fluidly dips out of the kitchen.

Taiyang looks puzzled, and just as he moves to follow Qrow, their long-limbed uncle slides back into the kitchen with his arms behind his back, holding back a crooked smile. "I know we're not all about big gifts these days," he says faux-apologetically in Taiyang's direction, "but I figure if you're gonna be a huntress, what better way to celebrate your birthday than with a cool weapon of your own?"

In her peripherals Yang sees her father's eyes widen with alarm as Qrow produces what appears to be a miniature scythe - a small, curved blade at the end of a short wooden pole - from behind his back. Yang struggles to remember the name, though she has seen a few people on the island use it in their gardens.

Ruby is awestruck, beaming at her uncle, and begins to reach out for it when Taiyang steps between them, facing Qrow.

"No. Are you crazy? That's hardly appropriate after our talk."

Yang recognizes the venom in his tone from when she first woke up to them arguing. She is bewildered at her father's extreme reaction; they read about hunstmen and deadly Grimm all the time – is a gardening tool really that dangerous? She begins to wonder as to Taiyang's reasoning when she notices Ruby shuddering, and whimpering.

"S-scyfe?" she stammers through sobs.

Growing desperate, Taiyang turns to meet her pleading gaze. "I'm sorry Ruby, you're too young for weap-"

"What's hardly appropriate is a grown man leaving his kids unattended for weeks at a time!" snaps Qrow, leaning back on the door frame with a murderous glare. "After what happened you should be training them, not bubble-wrapping them!"

"I hate to break it to you, Qrow, but they're just kids." Taiyang spits back, his blue eyes alight with a warning fire. "My kids," he adds deliberately.

"Kids who can take care of themselves better than your sorry ass," Qrow viciously rebuffs.

"How dare you!" Taiyang hisses, crescendoing into a blistering roar. "You of all people know just how dangerous-"

CRACK.

"NO MORE!" screams Yang desperately.

The room goes silent as all eyes fall on her - looks of shock and astonishment, and… why does Ruby look so scared?

Through her reddened vision she registers a warm, yellowish light casting faint shadows behind her family in front of her. Looking down, she sees her gloved fists embedded in the table top. The wooden surface features a fresh spider web of cracks and splinters emanating from her point of impact.

And only then does she feel it. As if touching a stovetop, her hands are suddenly jolted with searing pain that echoes through her arms and into her core - a burning sensation that then flushes her entire body with heat. Hot tears roll out of her eyes at an unsteady rate, and she realizes she is gritting her teeth, hard, in a savage snarl. Her breathing is audible, and sounds feral to her.

Yang gingerly lifts her fists from their wooden crater, and her expression shifts from desperate fury to horror.

I did this.

What is wrong with me?

The light seems to fade from the room as her eyes readjust to her situation. Qrow has a steadying hand on Ruby's shoulder as she grips him fearfully, but he looks oddly content. Taiyang is bending down to meet Yang at eye level, and tenderly reaches for her hands.

"Yang," he tries.

She can't look him in the eyes. She feels herself now breathing in rapid, shallow bursts. She feels cornered, trapped by her family's bewildered stares, like a monstrous beast.

"Yang?"

She feels hands on her shoulders. She is shaking, but cannot tell if she is being shaken by the hands or if it is her panic.

"Yang! Look at me, sweetie. Are you okay?"

She snaps into focus, looking deep into her father's eyes. Watery blue searches faded lilac. She feels tired, and lets him draw her into a relieved hug.

"I'm sorry, Yang. We shouldn't have… I shouldn't have gotten so worked up. You girls…" He pulls back, glancing cautiously at the table, before cupping her shaking hands in his. He hesitates, attempting to finish the thought, but just sighs, relieving his own bodily tension. "How are your hands?"

Burning. Numb. Tingly.

The pain is quickly subsiding, and her... bones seem to be shifting uncomfortably but almost imperceptibly, her hands tingling like they had simply fallen asleep. She could swear there was a trace of golden light sliding up her arms, like a ghostly glove.

"I think…" she sniffs tentatively, "I think I really hurt myself, but… it's better now?"

Taiyang's eyebrows rise, then he just smiles and nods, letting go of her as he says, "okay. Good."

He turns to Ruby and Qrow, and Yang also looks in their direction. Ruby looks tragically confused, as if on the brink of panicking herself. "Whahappen?" she asks timidly.

Qrow's hand tightens on her shoulder and his other finds itself in her hair, mussing it casually. He smiles.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I think... your sister just activated her semblance."

He and Taiyang share a glance that involves raised eyebrows, flared nostrils and half-hearted smiles - communicating a number of things, Yang is sure, but what exactly, she has no idea.

My… semblance?

The room is quiet as this new idea sets in.

It is Ruby who breaks the silence, her face transforming from timid fear to unbridled joy. Her mouth opens wide and she inhales deeply. Yang braces her ears for impact with an anticipatory cringeing grin as a shriek of pure ecstasy fills the air, accompanied by the rapid clapping of tiny hands.

"SSSEEEMMMBLAAAAAAAAAAANNNNCCCE!"

The big reveal sweeps aside the argument that came before, and once the initial celebration dies down, Taiyang takes Yang upstairs to further inspect her hands.

The heels of her hands display some faint bruising but otherwise she seems fine. She could have sworn she felt some of her fingers crack uncomfortably on impact, and she admits as much. He tells her not to worry, but bandages her hands carefully "just in case - plus, it looks pretty cool, dontcha think?" She smiles in agreement.

The bandages end up looking like a boxing wrap, and while they have to cut open the "fingerless" gloves a little more to fit them on, Yang feels that the end result is satisfyingly cool.

It's already mostly dark out when she returns downstairs to get her boots on. Ruby is sitting oddly still on the bottom step as Qrow leans his back on the front door, as if to keep her from running off ahead of them.

Taiyang and Qrow quietly agree that Qrow will go with them to keep watch. In a gesture of good faith, Qrow has haphazardly cut and taped a plastic guard around the sharp edge of Ruby's present –something he calls a kama, "which is basically a miniature scythe" – much to her disappointment. She is unimpressed with the awkward, bulky aesthetic of the protected blade, but happily accepts that at least she can bring it with her to complete her costume.

Yang slides on her boots, filling out the extra space with an extra layer of thick socks, and Qrow looks to the sisters with his casual smirk. "Ready for some treats?"

"Twickertweet," Ruby haughtily corrects him. Yang's not sure how much of Qrow's lecture Ruby remembered or understood, but she is clearly not giving up on the common practice.

"Whatever. If you really wanna make it into town we'd best get going."

A persistently mild breeze accompanies them out the door, keeping them cool with their extra clothing and equipment weighing them down.

They make a beeline for town, foregoing their neighbours further down the road, and only visiting the ones on the way who have any carved pumpkins or other spooky decorations out on display. Their candy haul is surprisingly substantial early on, as it seems most of the children living on the island either live in town, have recently moved, or are staying at Signal, and so with fewer guests at their doors, the residents have more to give away - which they do, quite generously, to the girls' delight.

Qrow watches from the road, letting them approach each house on their own.

The sun has completely set by the time they reach town, and while they had promised not to be back too late, Yang was pretty sure Qrow had a different idea of what that meant, and was glad for it.

The town of Patch, for all its humble simplicity, was a sight to behold on Halloween. Decorations hang and float and sit and lie and flicker and growl and shake around nearly every corner, and almost every home has a display of some sort. Other children of varying ages wander the streets in costumes of their own - bedsheet ghosts, zombies, escaped convicts, cartoon characters (lots of Pumpkin Petes of varying quality), animals, and even a couple homemade Grimm masks, which Ruby is keen to avoid after two masked individuals surprise them from around a corner (only to be scared back by an impressively intimidating big sister).

Yang and Ruby receive some odd glances and guesses at their costumes, but there are a few who recognize their intent (or cleverly disguise their uncertainty in the form of the question, "are you girls huntresses?") and though a couple of these people appear unenthused, most applaud them for their implied bravery, selfless deeds, and stylistic creativity.

As the night goes on, they wander into the main square near the docks, where they had come on their own just a few weeks ago looking for groceries. Many of the market stalls are open, selling homemade Halloween crafts and gross-looking "potions" and baked goods. The usual aroma of salt and fish and spices is overpowered by that of chocolate and bread and buttery popcorn and fruity concoctions (and a vaguely familiar bitter-sour scent nearer to the "potions").

Ruby scans the area, looking hard for something.

"You want me to get you a birthday cookie?" Yang asks, eager to find an appropriately sugary gift for her baby sister.

Ruby hesitates, then nods thoughtfully, but her expression dims as she continues looking around. She turns to Yang, concerned. "Antwers?"

Antwers? ...Antlers?

Puzzled, Yang takes a moment to ponder her sister's meaning. She thinks back to that day, when she was so preoccupied with questioning Headmaster Conifer, and how Ruby had had chocolate on her face…

"You wanna get something from the faunus lady?"

Ruby nods emphatically, pleased with her sister's deduction, but she still looks concerned. "I'she gone?"

Yang takes a turn scanning the market stalls. It's difficult in the dark with all the decorations around, but she thinks she can remember where they encountered Headmaster Conifer, and from there she tries to remember watching Ruby meet her new friend out of the corner of her eye.

Which one…

Yang thinks she sees a pair of antlers growing from the head of a young woman, but upon closer inspection it turns out to be a costume piece - not a full animal mask, but a simple pair of fake antlers. Something about it causes Yang to frown. Are they dressing up as a faunus? That didn't seem right. Usually if someone wore a mask of another person's face or defining features it was of a celebrity, and usually worn mockingly.

Qrow curiously watches from one of the far stalls, sampling a "Huntsmen's Comfort" from a "potion" vender. Catching his eye, Yang dismisses his raised eyebrow with a quick thumbs up, before realizing she's already scanned the whole sqaure.

Perplexed, she leads Ruby over to where she thought she could picture the woman's stall, looking for any signs of her sister's faunus friend. As she nears what she feels should be the right area, she stumbles over something - a loose paving stone, maybe? - and ends up facing the square in just the right way. She can clearly remember standing almost exactly in this spot, looking in this direction, watching Ruby munch on a chocolate chip muffin, while the woman with the tired eyes and the tiny antlers beamed at her new favourite customer.

The broken moonlight, fading in and out of sight through the clouds, and the dim lamplight of the square make it hard to tell, but the wall against which the woman had previously set up shop seems especially dark. An uneasy sensation ripples through Yang's spine, and she feels compelled to look down and see what tripped her up.

The corner of what appears to be a split plank - charred on one side - is wedged between the stones at her feet. Her gaze turns upward in alarm, and pulls Ruby rather suddenly toward the unusually dark wall.

The space is unoccupied at first glance, but as they draw closer, they can make out the remains of the wooden frame of the woman's stall - similarly splintered and charred, with globs of melted plastic and various other burnt objects scattered around or stuck to the wood. It appears to have been mostly cleared away, but a layer of debris and ash remains mixed in with the dirt between the paving stones.

Ruby squeezes Yang's right hand with both of hers. Yang recognizes through this touch that Ruby can sense what has happened - or at least that something isn't right here - just as Yang can. She can tell her sister is about to vocalize something when Qrow's voice grates over their shoulders.

"What's up, huntresses? Investigating a spooky Halloween mystery, or…" his voice trails off as he registers the scene before them. His eye is drawn to a higher spot on the wall, and he scowls disapprovingly. "Come on, kids. We should pay a visit to ol' Dougie before we go home." With his hands on their shoulders, he turns them in the direction of the appropriately ominous-looking bell tower of Signal Academy.

Yang manages to trace Qrow's gaze and sees what he must have seen - a single, crudely-scribbled word glares back at her from just out of the average adult's reach, smeared out of the ash on the burnt wall:

TRAITOR

Confused and dismayed, Yang solemnly follows her uncle and sister to the gates of Signal.

Three steps further, Qrow halts abruptly, and a paranoid look crosses his face. "Actually… you two go ahead. I need to… check on something."

They look to him, worried and confused by his sudden erratic behaviour.

"Look, don't… I'll be right here, just outside the gates. Just don't tell him I'm here, alright?" he half-whispers, looking slightly annoyed, and... ashamed?

Yang finally shrugs, starting to tire of their evening out anyhow, and proceeds to the large double doors of the foyer's entryway. Ruby follows closely, still pouting, but gradually lights up as she observes some of the massive pumpkins (some as tall as Yang) surrounding the walkway, many of which have been carved or decorated with incredible detail, and others… rather carelessly, by the look of it.

After a rapid knock on the hard wood and a weary "twickertweet" is shouted at the door, a sliver of warm light leaks out onto them from inside, reflecting off the mostly bald head of the thick-bodied old man who steps out to greet them.

Headmaster Conifer eyes them carefully with an inscrutable expression, then crosses his arms rather suddenly, his brow furrowing. "What do you think you girlss are doing out thiss late? You sshould be in your dormss at thiss hour!" he whistles as sternly as he can through his gap tooth. His fingers drum on the sleeve of his faded green blazer.

Yang is speechless, and it takes her a moment to realize she's leaning back defensively, her mouth hanging open. Before she can think of what to say, Ruby simply asks, "Dorms?"

"Yess, young lady, do you think I wouldn't recognisse a pair of huntresssesss when I ssee them?" he demands, but his facade shatters as his chest heaves with airy laughter.

Still stunned, Yang slowly closes her mouth, then smiles appreciatively.

"Thosse are quite the cosstumess, girlss! I'm sso glad you could make it. Pleasse, help yoursselvess…" he creakily reaches down to offer them a basket full of goodies to choose from.

As they thank him and sift through for their favourites, there is a jarringly loud and oddly lengthy shattering sound from inside, and Headmaster Conifer stiffens upright again.

"Ohohoooohhh dear… that'ss probably Persi again… the poor child hass developed a rather… dessstructive ssemblansse. Give your father my besst..." He rushes to close the door behind him, as if eager to contain the burgeoning abilities of this "Persi," whom Yang figures must be a student here.

The sisters share a bewildered glance, but each of them can see the weariness in the other's eyes, and a silent agreement passes between them: It's time to go home.

They find an anxious Qrow at the gates, though he relaxes as they near the edge of town. Wishing to conserve what little energy she has left, Yang opts not to pursue her curiosity this time.

Seeing Ruby starting to drag her heels, Qrow offers her a ride on his shoulders (on the condition that he keep her kama at his side), and she gratefully accepts.

Once out of sight of the town of Patch, he breaks the lengthy conversational silence, catching Ruby at the brink of sleep as she leans heavily on his shock of graying hair.

"I'm sorry about your whoever it was you were looking for. Faunus, yeah?"

Yang mutters affirmatively, and Qrow sighs loudly.

"Whatever happened there… don't let it getcha down. I'm sure your friend is okay."

"Gone!" protests Ruby with a dismayed yawn.

"Well, yeah, unfortunately… you may never see them again. Not around here, anyway. Look… not everyone is as… compassionatetowards others… or certain others. Like the faunus. But we've all got a lot more in common than some people would like to admit… and those people - human or faunus - can be dangerous... to everyone."

Yang only vaguely remembers the bits and pieces of information her father and uncle had mentioned about the faunus over the years, but she thinks she recalls a news broadcast or something about a group of faunus with white fangs recently turning to more violent acts to protect themselves and their rights. She wonders how they might have become so angry as to become violent, and if someone might have been angry enough with Ruby's friend to run her out of town. And why only white fangs?

Her thoughts grow sloppy in her tired state, and she can see their mailbox ahead, but Qrow apparently isn't done his own train of thought.

"We all get to choose how we live - whether we're kind, or… well, not." Stopping short of the walkway to the house, he soberly continues, looking down at the dirt. "Don't ever let anyone tell you that kindness is not an option. Not everyone gets to live a comfortable life, so it's important you appreciate what you have… even if it seems like all you have left to choose is unkindness."

Yang tries to understand, to take in these voluminous words of wisdom, but she feels as if his words are bouncing off her head at this point. Ruby is passed out, face buried awkwardly in his hair, drooling slightly.

"Come on, it's pretty late. Your dad's probably getting worried."

Qrow is right, of course, but Taiyang foregoes the finger-wagging in favour of getting his girls to bed.

Yang realizes as she finishes brushing her teeth that in the decidedly upsetting finale to their Halloween out on the town, she never actually got anything for Ruby, and she chastises herself, frowning to her toothpaste-moustached self in the mirror.

Taiyang steps out of their bedroom, happening across Yang on her return trip from the bathroom. "Good night, Yang," he says with a warm smile.

She hesitates to respond, questions nagging in the back of her mind. The silence causes him to raise an inquisitive eyebrow. Her disappointment rushes ahead of her other thoughts. "I forgot to get Ruby a present!" she whisper-shouts, conscious of the open doorway down the hall. Without warning, she's tearing up again, feeling immeasurably foolish.

"Hey, don't cry," her father says consolingly, reaching for the side of her face with his palm, equal parts rough and gentle. "You know... I think you've forgotten something." He cups her cheek tenderly, raising her eyes to meet his.

"What?" she asks, holding in a sob. She really has no idea what he could possibly mean, and is too tired to imagine the possibilities.

"Ruby... she looks up to you, you know. You're kind of... her hero. And I think that's a pretty fair assessment," he explains, breaking into a proud grin.

Hero?

Yang thinks back to the night out in the woods, and how she nearly got them both killed.

I couldn't protect her... I couldn't even fight back.

"And today, Ruby's heroic big sister just showed off her very own semblance," Taiyang continues. "I think that's as good a present as you could have given her." The circumstances hadn't been particularly positive, but he wasn't wrong, and Yang couldn't blame him for latching onto the silver lining in their dinnertime drama.

She didn't fully understand what had happened, or why, but the way Qrow and Dad had reacted didn't seem to warrant much concern. Still, she had no idea what this meant for her - semblances were very much the stuff of fairy tales, or Qrow's stories, but not her life. Not until now.

But something else was bothering her, too, and even in the muck of her exhausted mental state, the questions take shape. She looks down at a fraying edge of the carpet, fidgeting with her hands. "Dad, I-"

"You want to know how this is going to work, right?" he interrupts quietly, very much hitting the nail on the head. From the sisters' bedroom they can hear Qrow softly rasping on about the King of Vale during the Great War - one of Ruby's favourite stories, though she's undoubtedly already asleep after such an emotional day. Yang nods, avoiding eye contact.

He kneels to meet her at eye level anyways. "Yang, like I said, Ruby thinks the world of you… you've done well. With Ruby… and me," he sighs. "And… well, when Qrow leaves, it's just gonna be us again. And… as much as it would be easier for me to stay home all the time… I… I can't. Your uncle… Qrow's right. I need to go back to Signal. For my sake. For the school's sake. For our sakes. I need to do what I can to provide for us. Headmaster Conifer has been very understanding but I need to make sure we're capable of looking after ourselves. With the income from my job… well, that takes care of most of that."

Yang finally meets his eyes, her suddenly clenched fists trembling slightly - though she feels unusually devoid of anger in the wake of his honesty. She wants to be upset with him, but... she can't.

More seriously, he asks Yang, "Do you think you can help me with the rest?"

This surprises her. Help? She thinks she knows what he means and had half been expecting to have to worry about this, but his sudden upfront request catches her off guard.

"While I'm working, I can't be here with you and Ruby. Eventually… one day, we can talk about you attending Signal yourselves. We've got... a lot to talk about, with that."

Yang thinks back to how she came around to her choice in costume, how strangely satisfied she was to see herself combat ready in the mirror, and the way her body reacted to her desperate outburst at dinner.

She is grateful for the momentary silence Taiyang provides for her to let things sink in.

Could I be a huntress? A hero?

She also remembers how she nearly got Ruby and herself killed, and how her uncle emphasized the importance of being able to help everyone. If she couldn't even protect one person...

Taiyang appears reluctant to continue, sighing heavily. "Well, for now, you've shown that you are capable of taking care of your sister and you have no idea how proud that makes me. And as much as I hate to have to do this…" he pauses, ensuring he has her full attention. Her lilacs are affixed to his bright blues, though unsure of which individual eye to look at while they're this close. "I need you to hold down the fort here. You're my Sunny Little Dragon, and you're Ruby's hero of a big sister, and you're growing up so fast, and I know you can do this; you already have. You're a big girl. Can I count on you?"

Yang is reeling from the weight of his request. She hadn't thought too much about the long term while he was being despondent. It was always just about living day by day, though she supposes that she would have kept on doing whatever she could for Ruby anyhow, for as long as was needed. And now, here it is, the idea that she would continue to do so for the next… several years. It isn't disagreeable, and she is committed to her sister's well-being, but something about the request doesn't feel so much like a request. While she is wholeheartedly ready to say yes, she can't help but feel like she doesn't have much of a choice, and again she wants to be upset with him, but...

Here he is - Dad - asking her to take on a "big girl" responsibility. Asking her to be Ruby's hero (more officially, anyhow), and hinting at the possibilities in her own future. It's bittersweet, but she feels a small amount of pride in simply being asked. And she knows her answer.

"Okay," she half-whispers, nodding hesitantly. I couldn't protect Ruby then...

"Thank you, Yang," he says with audible relief. He wraps his arms around her in a careful hug. "I know we can do this."

She returns the gesture, genuinely pleased with their interaction, although she is distracted as the implications of her agreement begin to work themselves out in her mind.

A distant but bitter voice in her head shout-whispers dissatisfaction and doubt, but the mental sound is drowned out by a budding sensation humming its own uplifting melody, like darkness retreating from candlelight.

...But maybe I could one day?

She doesn't register much of Qrow's story as she settles into bed, and only vaguely recalls wishing him good night as he leaves the room while Ruby snores contentedly.

Yang feels fatigued - knows she is exhausted - but cannot seem to get comfortable or relent to her body's need to rest. In the scattered moonlight just barely glowing through their window, she can see some of her clothes from her huntress costume peeking out of the laundry basket. Gradually her mind settles on a single notion - not a new one, by any means, but with an odd sense of renewed purpose, and it salves her discomfort for now.

I could be... no, I will be the hero Ruby needs.

Hello again!

In lieu of a new episode this week, have a new chapter instead! We are now DONE with Halloween/Ruby's birthday and again I'M SORRY that it took this long to wrap up (I rushed the editing process on this one, so... here's hoping I didn't drop the ball anywhere). Tune in next week (probably?) for something more timely... :)

I should also add a thank you to the gradual trickle of people picking this up from FF or AO3 or my shameless self-promotion on Tumblr. I'm glad you have enjoyed it enough to at least say as much, and I hope you will recommend this or at least review/comment with your thoughts as we continue on this Yangsty retrospective!

And just to give you a clearer idea of where this is going, the plan is to revisit a lot of Yang's moments of "failure," as hinted at in her present day dreams, and EVENTUALLY catch up to the show - and while that could be a year or more away at my current pace, I do have ideas for where to take this off the canonical rails while we wait for more. In the meantime, if you feel that something crucial is missing, know that it may actually be intentional...

Until next time, cheers!
-kms