Author's Note: Written for the Reddit /r/RWBY MonCon: January Contest. Please keep in mind this was largely written before the release of Volume 3: Episode 8, and as such is vastly different from what happens in the show.

RWBY is owned and operated by Roosterteeth

Monsters in our Heads

"Yang?"

Yang Xiao Long was normally a very heavy sleeper. She was the kind of person who took her beauty rest seriously. A normal reaction, considering how even at nine years of age it was apparent she was a very beautiful person. The mere thought of a poor night's rest doing anything to degrade her looks sent a shiver down Yang's spine. So as it were, a bomb could go off just a few feet away and it would do little to break Yang out of her slumber.

But there was always one sound… a sure fire way to drag her out of the deepest of dreams. It's a sound she's come to love over the years, because it comes from one of the people she loves most in this world. But it is also a sound she dreads hearing, because Yang only ever hears it when the person she loves is in pain.

The sound is her little sister's voice when a night terror invades her dreams.

Yang began to sit up in her bed, already on alert but still rubbing the grogginess from her eyes. "Ruby?" she asked, stifling a yawn. The clock on her desk said it was just about three in the morning. When her vision adjusted to the dark room, Yang looked to her bedroom doorway to find a seven-year-old in PJ's standing there. The evidence of fresh tears glistened on her cheeks, and Ruby's silvers eyes shined in the low light of the moon beaming in through the window.

"Hey," Yang consoled quietly, hanging her legs over the side of the bed. "Come here." Ruby eagerly rushed over and jumped up onto the bed to crash into her older sister's arms. Yang hugged her close, rubbing Ruby's back while the smaller girl descended into a fresh wave of sobs.

"Another bad dream?" Yang asked.

"The monster came back," Ruby confessed, burying her head in Yang's collar.

She bit back a sigh, having already expected the answer. This has been going on for a long time now, ever since mom… didn't come back from her mission, three years ago. It used be Ruby waking up in the middle of the night screaming her heart out, and both Yang and their dad would be by her side in moments.

The story was always the same; Ruby would see their mom in a dream and chase after her. But Ruby would lose sight of her, and then something else showed up. She only ever called it the monster, but whether it was a Grimm or something worse, it always scared her half to death.

For a while, right after mom left, Ruby's nightmares would come back every night for weeks on end. Yang and their dad did their best to calm her down every time it happened, to try and convince her it was only a bad dream, but the same thing always happened the next night.

Around the time it started to get really bad, their father started staying up later with Ruby. Yang would stay by the door, listening in while he read her stories like mom used to. And it started to work. Ruby would only wake up gasping for air rather than screaming bloody murder. And then when Yang was old enough, she started staying up with Ruby too.

Eventually things got better. The bad dreams wouldn't come every night anymore, and when they did it wasn't nearly as severe. All three of them began to sleep peacefully again.

The nightmares never fully stopped though. Sometimes Ruby could go entire months without being woken up from terror. But the ever present fear was still there, waiting to resurface itself. Now when it happened, Ruby would commonly make her way to Yang's room in order to be consoled by her sister. Sometimes Yang would awake in the middle of the night to the sounds of Ruby talking with their dad. Either of them would stay up for as long it took for Ruby to become tired again and return to bed. Even though it meant skipping out on her own sleep, Yang would sometimes stay up even later to read another story or two.

Looking at the little girl in her arms, seeing just how much these dreams disturbed her, broke Yang's heart. But at this point there wasn't anything more she could do to try and help her. She hated to say it, but Ruby eventually had to grow up and deal with this on her own.

After a while Ruby started to calm down again. When Yang was sure she'd stopped crying, she hazarded, "Do you want to go back to bed? I can read you the story of The Knight and the two Dragons again if you want."

Ruby shook her head fervently. "The monster's still in there."

Yang felt her brow scrunch with surprise. To her knowledge Ruby only ever said the monster was in her dreams or hiding in the shadows, not a specific room in the house. "It's in your room?"

"Uh huh," she sniffed. "It's hiding in the closet."

A metaphorical light bulb alighted over Yang's head. Maybe if Ruby saw for herself there wasn't anything in the closet, she could get over her fears once and for all.

"Well, I think I wanna see this monster for myself!" Yang declared, jumping up from her bed and dragging Ruby along with her. The little sister valiantly dug her heels in the ground, trying to stop her big sister going to her room.

"No!" Ruby whined. "It's big and mean and scary! It's gonna hurt us!"

"No it won't! Dad's already started training me, so I can take it on if I have to!" Truthfully that 'training' really only surmounted to knowing how to throw a punch without breaking your own fingers. But Yang figured it was good enough to deal with any imaginary creatures.

Even with Ruby trying to hold her back it was a quick journey, seeing as how their rooms were really just across the hall from each other. Ruby's room looked as normal as always. The shelf full of books still stood in the corner, next to her bed. The night-light shown a soothing red rose spinning across the ceiling. The only thing out of place was how all of Ruby's toys had been stacked against her closet door like some sort of barricade.

"It's in there?" Yang asked. Ruby nodded, clinging closely to her back. Unafraid, Yang strode toward the door and quickly shoved aside the wall of pretend swords and stuffed Grimm dolls. Sharing one more glance with Ruby, Yang took ahold of the door handle and flung the closet open.

Ruby instinctively hid behind her sister, preparing for something or anything to come lunging at them. But everything stayed quiet, and after a moment Ruby dared to peek her head out again.

"See?" Yang prompted, gesturing to the obviously empty closet. Only a few clothes hung from wire hangers, along with a couple pairs of tiny shoes on the floor. "No monsters, no bad guys, no nothin'!"

"B-but…" Ruby sputtered. "The monster's in there! I know it is. It's just waiting until we think we're safe."

Yang couldn't help rolling her eyes. She turned around and kneeled down so she could look Ruby in the eye and said, "Listen to me, Rubes. There's nothing in there! The only monsters around are the ones in your head. And you'll never stop being afraid until you tell them they don't have any power over you. Got it?"

"Well… I… but the monster…" The little girl struggled for words, glancing between Yang and the closet with large, fearful eyes. Clearly the analytical and childish parts of her mind were at war with one another. She wanted to believe her sister, but sheer, primal terror had a way overriding one's mind at the worst of times.

It isn't fair, Yang silently fumed. It wasn't fair someone as pure and good as Ruby should be subjected to torture like this. To be robbed of her sleep by some unseen enemy. But what could she do? Yang glanced back at the closet, finding it just as empty as when she first opened it. How were you supposed to fight against something you couldn't even see?

She looked further into the dark closet, and suddenly the light bulb over Yang's head began to glow brighter with a new realization.

You can't fight what you can't see or touch… but then it can't fight back either…

"Stay here," Yang commanded after prying Ruby's hands from her shirt. Ruby futilely tried grabbing after Yang as she walked toward the closet, but fear kept her rooted in place. She could only watch as Yang strode purposefully into the closet itself.

Yang made a show of inspecting the interior, turning around and around several times. When she figured she gave it enough effort, Yang turned back to Ruby and held her arms out. "See? Nothing here." Ruby still didn't look convinced, wringing her hands together while she stared into the closet.

Another roll of her eyes, and Yang knew she'd have to try harder. "Here, let me show you." And then she grabbed the handle again to close the door, effectively trapping Yang inside the closet.

"Yaaang," Ruby warned, clearly uneasy with her sister being trapped in the same space as a supposed monster.

Yang took a moment to let her vision adjust to the dark closet, aided only by the low red light seeping in under the gap of the door. Briefly Yang marveled at how spacious Ruby's closet seemed to be compared to own. Although that may have been because Yang had far more outfits stuffed into it.

"I'm still here," Yang announced so Ruby didn't start to freak out. "Wow, it's really cozy in here. And I don't see any monsters."

"Really?" Ruby asked from the other side of the door. "You… you don't see it?"

"Nope. There's just me and some shirts and- wait…" Yang paused for dramatic effect, and she couldn't help the grin spreading across her lips. "What is that… oh no! Ugh!" She even threw herself against a wall for added measure.

"Yang!" her little sister yelled in distress.

"It's the monster!" Yang called back, fighting off the urge to snicker. "Don't worry, I've got it!" She then proceeded to throw out a series of 'oomphs' and 'aahs' to simulate combat, as well as a few snarls lest the fight sound too one sided.

Yang could only imagine how Ruby must look. Hands over her mouth and eyes wide, listening with rapt attention while her older sister allegedly fought a monster in her closet. It took all of her nerve just to not burst out laughing.

"You like that?" Yang taunted, ramming her shoulder into a wall just hard enough to make an audible thump. Her dad would have a fit if she actually broke another wall. "You're not so tough! Show me something!"

And so Yang 'fought' with Ruby's nightmare creature. She slapped the walls to simulate punches, or raked her nails down them to make it sound like an animal swiping at her. Yang would rapidly stomp her feet, like the patter of paws retreating before coming in for another attack. She even chucked a shoe at the wall and let out a pained wail.

"Watch out!" Ruby warned even though she had no idea what was going on.

"I've got him!" Yang grunted like she was lifting something heavy before jumping up to slam her feet back down. "Get up, I'm not done with you yet!"

"Yeah, get him sis!" Ruby cheered. The sound of excited clapping sent a warm feel blossoming through Yang's chest.

She figured the 'fight' had gone on long enough, so Yang started ramming her fist into her open hand, panting loudly to add extra effect to each punch.

"That's what you get," Yang goaded, following it up with another punch.

"You think you can just scare my little sister whenever you want?" Another punch.

"Not while I'm around!" And then another punch.

She paused for dramatic effect once more, before saying, "You leave Ruby alone, get me? If I hear you ever come back, you'll have to deal with Yang Xiao Long. And next time I might not be so nice."

And as her coup de gras, Yang drove her foot down onto the floor one more time, hard enough she could almost hear the boards start to creek from the stress. To top it off she took ahold of Ruby's shirts and jangled the coat hangers together, like the final blow had shaken the house or something. Yang paused, panting heavily. For an imaginary enemy, it had still given the nine year old quite the workout.

Yang then flung the closet door back open and struck a heroic pose, with her head held high and fists on her hips. Sweat beaded her forehead, and Yang had the biggest, toothiest grin on her face.

Ruby stared at her slack jawed, silver eyes filled with wonderment. "Did you do it?" she whispered.

"You bet I did!" Yang declared with a fist pump. "I kicked its ugly butt, and now it knows never to come back here and mess with us again."

For a moment Ruby just continued to stare at her in disbelief, like there was no way it could be true. But just before Yang could begin to doubt if her plan had worked, Ruby sprinted at her and ensconced Yang in a bone crushing hug. Yang hugged her back just as hard, and together the two of them descended into a fit of watery laughter inside of that previously haunted closet.

"You did it Yang!" Ruby cheered with a slight hiccup. "You're the best big sister ever!"

"Nobody messes the Yang and Ruby sisters," she assured the little girl. Yang picked her up and spun them around a few times, loving the excited cries Ruby let out in response. Before either of them got too dizzy, Yang walked them out of the closet and plopped Ruby back down on her bed.

Hands on her knees and breathing a little heavy, Yang asked her, "So are you afraid anymore to go to sleep knowing the monster won't ever come back?"

"Uh uh!" Ruby quickly answered with an excited shake of her head.

"Awesome! How about I read you that story like I promised?" Ruby eagerly nodded and dove under the covers while Yang fetched the stool she usually sat on while she read to Ruby. Yang made sure to tuck her in, right up to her cute little chin before getting a book.

They ended up deciding upon the tale of The Four Maidens instead of what Yang originally suggested. Ruby listened with wide eyes and rapt attention while Yang told her the tale of an old man who lived by himself, far in the countryside away from other people. His heart had grown cold and he could no longer bring himself to love another person. Then one day four traveling sisters happened upon his hut. Because they were such good people, they vowed to help the old man learn how to love again.

Ruby's eyes started to droop when the first sister talked to the old man, teaching him how to meditate and reflect upon his inner feelings. That way he would no longer stew in his own anger and start to take control of his feelings so he could use them for better endeavors.

While the second sister tended to the old man's gardens to show him just how kind others could be, Yang could see Ruby was struggling to keep her eyes open while she listened. Yang went on reading, about how the third sister coaxed the old man to leave his house and experience the beauty of the world around him.

Ruby was out like a light, her breathing steady and deep, around the time the fourth sister taught the old man to be thankful for all that he had, and not bitter about what he did not have. But Yang kept on reading. She liked to believe Ruby could still hear the story in her dreams.

So Yang finished the tale, recounting how the old man learned to love again and let other people into his heart. In return for their kindness, the old man granted the four sisters with amazing powers, so they could continue to travel the world and help others the way they did for him. Thus establishing the four seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Yang closed the book and gazed at Ruby in her bed. The little girl slept peacefully, with the hint of a smile on her lips. Yang set the book aside and gently placed a kiss atop Ruby's head. The bedside clock read almost four in the morning, but Yang loved her little sister far too much to care about some lost sleep.

Making sure to keep quiet, Yang tip toed out of Ruby's room and closed the door. She yawned on her way to her room. Some sleep of her own would be rather nice though.

However, upon entering her room, Yang received her own little fright. She found their dad sitting on her bed, smiling down at her with a slightly steaming mug in his hand.

"Hey there, Little Dragon," Taiyang greeted softly, using the pet name he knew Yang liked.

"Hey," Yang said back, having gotten over her initial fright. No doubt her 'brawl' in Ruby's closet had been louder than she intended. She walked over and sat down on the bed with him, and Taiyang put his arm around her shoulders while he looked at her with a proud smile. "Sorry for waking you up."

"You don't have to worry about me," he said, brushing off her worries. "Here, I warmed up a mug of milk with honey for you, just the way you like it."

That certainly got Yang to break out in a big grin. "Thanks dad," she said, taking the mug and having a measured sip. Her dad chuckled at the little white mustache left on her upper lip.

Taiyang used a napkin to wipe the milk off her face and said, "I heard about what you did for your sister. So that monster won't be visiting us again anytime soon, I take it?"

"No way!"

"That's my girl," he praised, tussling her hair and causing Yang to giggle. "Already a tried and true Huntress. Gods, I don't know what I did to deserve two such perfect daughters. I love you, both of you, so very much."

"I love you too, dad," Yang replied. She scooted closer and gave him a big hug to prove she meant it. Her father hugged her back, the pair of them reveling in the love they had for one another.

They stayed up for a while and talked about nothing in particular while Yang finished her mug of warm milk. When she was done, her dad took her mug and placed it aside before helping to tuck Yang in under her covers. Yang snuggled in, ready for sleep, but noticed the look her father was giving her. There was a small smile on his face, and some unspoken emotion hidden behind his lilac eyes.

"Is something wrong, dad?" she asked him.

Taiyang shook his head slowly and said, "No. Absolutely nothing is wrong." He brushed a few strands of golden hair out of her eyes and gave Yang a goodnight kiss on her forehead. "I just want to tell you how proud of you I am. Proud of you and your sister. You and Ruby are so strong. Stronger than I think I've ever been in my entire life. And I know if your mother was still here, she'd say the exact same thing."

He chuckled softly and patted Yang's head. "I don't know where your lives will take you, but I do know one thing: As long as you and Ruby are always there for each other, there's nothing you can't accomplish." Yang smiled broadly and nodded. She couldn't wait for the day she and Ruby were both Huntresses, fighting Grimm together side by side.

"Good night, dad," she told him sleepily.

"Good night, Little Dragon."

That night, Yang Xiao Long slept peacefully. Because after that night, not once was Ruby woken up by a nightmare ever again.

Oh god… my leg!

Yang Xiao Long! Stand down!

She broke my friend's leg! She's a monster!

Miss Long, as a protective measure for yourself and others, you are hereby being placed under my custody.

Tragedy struck the Vytal Festival Tournament today when Yang Xiao Long of Beacon Academy attacked a downed student.

Monster… monster… monster…

Yang was not having a good night's sleep.

The small cell and bed surmounting to little more than a layer of foam over a metal slab certainly weren't helping things. But Yang never let physicality get the best of her. She's learned how to fall asleep anywhere, no matter how precarious or uncomfortable. A rather basic skill necessitated to being a Huntress.

No, Yang tossed and turned in her sleep because her dreams refused to let her forget what she'd done.

She still didn't know why things had fallen apart the way they did. The fight with Mercury Black went atypically enough. It was a close match but Yang made out on top, going so far as to leave Mercury without an Aura. She never thought him to be a sore loser though. Mercury… that bastard had the gall to attack her with her back turned. Yang reacted purely on instinct, and as a result the sore loser wound up with a broken leg.

At least… that's how it's supposed to have happened. That's how Yang knew it happened. But no one would believe her!

She's seen the video. How Mercury was down on the ground, doing nothing remotely aggressive. And then Yang rounded on him and attacked, unprovoked, crippling him. That's what everyone else saw. They wouldn't even listen to her side of the story. Yang was the only person who knew the truth.

Now why wouldn't anyone believe her? No one so much as took the time to listen. Ironwood threw her into one of his special jail cells on his flag ship. No one's come to see her. Whether because they weren't allowed or because they were too afraid, Yang didn't know.

So she was alone. No one to help her. No one to believe her.

No one to tell her she wasn't going crazy.

Yang knew what happened, she saw it all herself. Mercury attacked her, and she defended herself. Yang's never had any reason to doubt herself before. But how was she supposed to stay sane when every single video camera, when every single person in the stands saw the same thing: Yang attacking a downed combatant out of turn.

It was like nails raking the inside her skull, all the accusations and shouts of anger. Everyone looked at her like some kind of… monster. Headmaster Ozpin barely even glanced at her while trying to argue with Ironwood's decision. She could still remember the hatred in Emerald's eyes. The audience held all varying degrees of negative emotions; anger, shock, disgust.

But the worst… the worst were her friends' faces. Yang was being marched out of the stadium, hands cuffed with armed guards on either side. A crowd formed around her, close enough to see her and sling accusations but far enough away to run if she turned hostile again. The only ones who had to be held back were the friends she'd made over the past year.

Sun and his team she wasn't as close with, so they could only look on in bewilderment as Yang was marched away. Maybe they were thinking they'd discovered some new side of her, something Yang kept hidden from the people she only held at arm's length.

Jaune and Nora looked shocked, as though incapable of even comprehending what she'd done. Pyrrha and Ren studied her with narrowed eyes, trying to understand what drove Yang to this. Asking themselves what little details they had missed and why they had chosen to ignore them until now.

Weiss… could barely even look at her. Yang saw disappointment in the girl's eyes. Maybe with her team mate for doing something so callous. Maybe with herself for having stood up for Yang so many times before. Maybe for just even being associated with Yang in some way.

Blake hurt the most. Partners and best friends, the two of them understood each other better than anyone else could. They trusted each other, and for a girl like Blake that trust was truly sacred. But Yang broke that vow of faith. The look Blake gave her, so full of shock and shattered hope, seemed to ask, Why did you do this? Why didn't you warn me this was the kind of person you really were? Why did you let me down, like everyone else has?

Ruby wasn't with them. Yang hasn't seen her little sister since she's been arrested. In a way that was good. Yang's been strenuously hanging on since the fight, struggling to keep her composure while everything else crumbled down around her. Seeing Ruby's face, experiencing just how well and truly Yang has destroyed the bond she once had with her little sister, most assuredly would have pushed her over the edge with no hope of return.

All those faces haunted her, every waking moment and every second of fitful sleep. In her dreams they circled around her, shouting at her with anger and whispering poison into her ears. Everything they knew would cut down to the bone, Yang was not spared. She tried to block out their voices but nothing would stop the verbal onslaught. They berated her, shoved what she'd done in her face, slapped every terrible title imaginable on her… accused her of being a monster.

And as time went on, Yang lost further control over her own psyche. At first she yelled back, trying to make them understand how Mercury attacked her. But the faces wouldn't let up, constantly replaying the video of Yang attacking Mercury on the ground. And soon the two scenarios began to blend together. In her own eyes, Yang would see Mercury leaping at her. But as soon as she threw her punch, all she saw was Mercury cowering on the ground while the attacked connected.

Yang could still see his leg twisting into an unnatural angle after her fist connected with his knee. Could still feel the wet crunch of flesh and bone rending beneath her fingertips. And eventually she could start to feel some perverse satisfaction emanate from the action. Yang held no remorse wounding Mercury for attacking her. But her owned subconscious worked against her, applying that feeling of triumph to when she attacked the defenseless Mercury.

Yang could no longer tell which scenario was which. Whether one was real and the other false no longer mattered. The accusing faces took the worst parts of each reality and fused them into one, making Yang feel simultaneously disgusted and proud of the monster she'd become.

Yang didn't want to be a monster. She'd wanted to be a Huntress, a hero. She'd wanted a life where she didn't know what new adventure awaited her with the next coming day.

But she had no idea what awaited the life of a monster, and it terrified her.

But what could a monster expect? When you were a monster who hurt people, how could you be surprised when they recoiled in fear? They locked you away from all others, made sure you couldn't so much as see another living soul, much less hurt them.

Maybe Yang deserved her fate. Maybe the faces and their damning words were right. Maybe she really was a…

"Yang?"

Her lilac eyes shot open, and Yang found herself back in her cell. She knew that sound. She hasn't heard it for a long time now, but Yang could never forget it.

The faces were gone, and instead Yang was only surrounded by nondescript grey walls. How claustrophobic her cell was certainly wasn't helping matters. It was basically little more than a glorified closet.

Yang made to sit up in her cot, her body protesting heavily against the action. She didn't need to be a shrink to know her nightmares had caused her more discomfort than sleeping on a bed of nails, and her body was paying for it. She took a moment to let her body catch up to wakefulness before looking up to the source of the sound.

"Ruby!" she exclaimed, instantly shooting to her feet. Her little sister stood there, on the other side of her cell door. Yang could hardly believe her eyes, wondering if she was still dreaming. "I… what are you doing here?"

"Professor Ozpin convinced General Ironwood to let me come see you," she explained. Ruby looked uncertain, about what though, Yang had no idea. But Ruby wasn't looking at her with dismay or barely contained rage, so Yang would take it. She turned to the guard posted outside Yang's cell and asked, "Can you please open the door and let me inside?"

The guard let out a noncommittal noise. "The General forbids the prisoners having direct contact with-"

"She's not a prisoner!" Ruby snapped at him, causing both the guard and Yang to reel with surprise. She knew Ruby could be a little spitfire, but she hadn't realized Ruby could be this commanding. "You guys already frisked me and you know there is nothing I could do to help break her out. I just want to talk with my sister without having to yell through a door."

A moment passed in tense silence while the diminutive girl glared down a man much larger than herself. Obviously the guard relented and entered the code to make the door slide open, hurriedly whispering to Ruby she only had a few minutes before the General came back. Ruby thanked him, ever the polite girl she was, and as soon as the door opened she rushed inside to tackle Yang in a bear hug.

"Oh, Ruby," Yang sighed, hugging her back just as fiercely. The little action almost tore down her last vestiges of control, and Yang had to fight the urge to start sobbing in her sister's arms. Ruby must have seen what Yang did, and yet she was still here, hugging Yang with the clearest symbol of love she had. Ruby hadn't given up on her yet.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner," Ruby confessed. "Things have been… really, really stressed."

"No, don't apologize," Yang interjected, squeezing even tighter. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." Reluctantly, the two of them extricated themselves from the hug and sat down on the cot. Ruby only waited patiently, looking at Yang with a calm gaze. Yang gripped the edges of the cot tightly, willing herself to stay in control. She couldn't break down, not now, not in front of Ruby.

"I should be the one apologizing," Yang went on. "About what I did. About what you must have seen, and what you must be going through right now. Gods, Ruby, I'm so sorry you had to watch that."

"That's okay," Ruby consoled quietly, taking ahold of Yang's hand to squeeze it gently. Yang bit back a sob, blown away by yet another small gesture of kindness. "I've been trying to keep a brave face and keep everyone optimistic about what's going on. But it's looking really bad for you right now, Yang. No one's really sure what happened, and I was hoping to hear your side of the story."

"I…" Yang wasn't sure what to say. She raked her free hand through her hair, trying to force herself to come up with some kind of response. "I don't even know anymore. One moment I think Mercury's attacking me, and the next he's on the ground while soldiers have their guns aimed at my chest. I know what I saw, but everyone keeps telling me how it went down differently."

"That's okay," Ruby repeated. "Maybe I can convince Professor Ozpin to-"

"It's not okay!" Yang burst out. All the misgivings and self-doubt suddenly began boiling over. She broke away from Ruby's grasp and hung her head in her hands. "I broke a guy's leg because I over reacted. He might never even walk again, and now all of my friends think I'm some kind of monster. And for what? Did I just ruin a guy's life because some post battle stress made me lose my head? It was a stupid mistake, but I'm supposed to be better than that. And now I've messed up everything."

"That's not true and you know it," Ruby bit back, her tone quiet but firm. "I talked with Emerald, and she says Mercury will be up and walking again once he's out of the hospital. You didn't cripple him for life." Yang only let out a choked sob in reply. Whether Mercury was actually a sore loser or not, knowing he'd be fine eventually didn't abate her guilt for still putting him in the hospital nonetheless.

She felt Ruby scoot closer and start rubbing her back. Any other time Yang would have found the action endearing and calming, but now she couldn't help stiffening up even more. Yang didn't want Ruby to look at her like all the rest of their friends did, but she couldn't comprehend why Ruby was trying so hard to be empathetic.

"This isn't like you, Yang," Ruby softly told her. "You've never second guessed yourself like this. What happened was horrible, sure, but that doesn't make you a bad person. Weiss and Blake know that too, or at least I know they'll come around eventually. So will the others. We're still here for you, Yang. But blaming yourself like this isn't going to help anything."

"I know, but…" She stared at her hands, both at them and through them. "I'm dangerous, Ruby. Even if Mercury walks again, I still broke his leg, as easy as snapping a twig. If anything I just caused everyone to face the fact that I could cause a lot of damage if I ever decided to stop listening to rational thought. In their eyes I'm no different than a Grimm. The only difference between me and a monster is the title."

The silence inside of the small cell was deafening. Ruby didn't say anything for a while, just continued to rub her back. Yang didn't know what more she could say. She'd never ask Ruby to help break her out or something crazy like that. But Yang didn't think she could survive if she told Ruby to save herself and never come back. Yang wasn't strong enough to try and withstand this on her own.

"Do you remember my monster?" Ruby suddenly asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yang felt her brow scrunch with confusion. "No, uh, I don't think I do."

"Sure you do. It started coming around after mom died. It kept showing up in my dreams, and my screams would always wake you and dad up."

Then it clicked for her. The monster Ruby would ramble about whenever she had a nightmare. Gods, they haven't talked about that for… what, eight or nine years?

"Wow, I totally forgot all about that," Yang marveled. She wasn't sure why Ruby brought it up, but it was nice talking about something more familiar. "I remember staying up late to read stories to you whenever it happened."

"You must have read me the tale of The Knight and The Two Dragons at least a dozen times before the nightmares stopped," Ruby said with a bit of mirth. "Do you remember what finally got me to stop seeing my monster?"

"Let's see, you woke me up one night, we talked for a bit, and…" Yang snapped her fingers as the memory came back to her. "You said the monster was in your closet! So I went in there and beat the crap out it!"

The two sisters shared a laugh at the happy memory. Albeit small, nervous laughter, but to Yang it still felt wonderful.

"I remember thinking you were the greatest hero in the world," Ruby recalled. "And how I was so lucky to have someone like you as my big sister. I knew if I were ever in trouble, you'd always be there to help, no matter how deep the hole I dug myself."

"Even the time you dug a hole so deep you and Zwei couldn't get out," Yang cracked. The giggle Ruby responded with was music to her ears.

"Yeah, well a few years later I finally realized what actually happened. You knew there was nothing there all along, but instead of just telling me, you closed the door and started punching the walls, making scary sounds, and tossing my clothes around. All to make me believe you actually beat up a nonexistent monster in my closet."

"It does sound pretty stupid in retrospect, huh?"

"Nope." Yang finally looked back at Ruby, finding only a small smile in return. "When I realized the truth, it just reminded me of what I already knew; that you're the best big sister a girl could ever ask for. I love you, Yang, but not because of your accomplishments and how larger than life you act. I love you for all the silly little things did while we were kids, like fighting pretend monsters or getting into trouble because of the pranks we pulled. You're my best friend. Always have been, and always will be."

Ruby reached over and cupped their hands together, and she looked Yang right in the eye with a steady gaze. "And that's why I'll always be there for you too, Yang. You can count on me to help, whenever you need it. But I can only do that when you're willing to let me. Punishing yourself for something you're not even sure you did like this will only end up destroying you, and none of us want to see that. Not Weiss, not Blake, and especially not me."

Yang felt something wet roll down her cheek, and she quickly glanced away to wipe it off. Damnit, was she crying? Yang Xiao Long didn't cry. She was supposed to be the strong one.

"There was one thing you told me that night which always stuck with me," Ruby went on. "You were trying to help me see reason, but I was so focused on the apparitions my mind kept playing. Then you told me the only monsters around were the ones inside my own head, and that the only way I'd stop being afraid was when I told them they don't have any power over me. I always look back on that night and remember what you told me whenever I start to feel afraid. Even when you're not around, you're always there to help me out when I need it."

"Ruby, I…" Her words hit Yang like a ton of bricks. She could remember the conversation now, so clearly it might as well have been yesterday. So instead of answering with words, Yang responded by leaning forward to wrap Ruby in as big a hug she could muster. Her little sister squeezed back, and Yang finally let the flood gates open as she began to quietly sob in her sister's embrace.

"You are the best little sister ever," she gasped. "I don't deserve to have someone like you who loves me so much."

"I think you deserve more, but I wouldn't mind if you settled for little ol' me," Ruby countered, causing Yang to sputter hopelessly as a laugh combined with her snuffles. "But I mean it. You're so strong, Yang, and blaming yourself won't help anything."

"I know," Yang acquiesced, her voice quiet. "Sometimes I just forget how strong you are too."

The sisters stayed wrapped up in each other's arms for another moment, conveying their love for one another. Finally they started to move away, but Yang made sure to keep their hands together. She looked at Ruby with what felt like the first genuine smile she's had in weeks, and Ruby responded in kind.

"There are no monsters around except for the ones in my head," Yang solemnly vowed. "And I'm not afraid of them, so they can't have any power over me."

And just like that a weight lifted off of Yang's shoulders. The guilt and the uncertainty were still there, but Yang no longer felt absolutely horrible about herself. She no longer felt like a monster.

"There's the Yang I know and love," Ruby whispered, a big smile gracing her lips. "I always knew she was in there."

"She just needed some help finding her way out," Yang agreed.

Ruby squeezed her hands affectionately and asked, "So now if you're feeling better, can you tell me what happened?"

"Alright," she agreed. Yang took a deep breath and made sure to keep her words steady and calm. "I ended up winning the match, and I remember hitting Mercury hard enough that I completely broke his shield of Aura. I told him 'Better luck next time' and began to walk off the stage. However, I heard him whisper 'There isn't going to be a next time' and when I looked back, I saw him run at me and initiate a flying kick. I reacted by punching his outstretched leg before it could connect with me. My actions were in self-defense, and by no means did I want to intentionally hurt him."

"Then I believe you."

Yang marveled at her sister. No hesitation, no flicker of doubt in her silver eyes. She really believed every word Yang told her. It was the kind of trust Yang would never take for granted.

"If what I'm saying turns out to be true, can we both agree that something real fishy is going on?" Yang asked.

"Definitely," Ruby nodded. "I could already tell Emerald was holding something back when I was talking with her yesterday, but I didn't want to jump to any conclusions until I talked with you. Now though, it's obvious whatever Emerald and Mercury are up to, it can't be anything good. And that means we have to get to the bottom of it."

"Then what do we do next?" For the first time in a long while, Yang was starting to feel the little niggling sensations of hope again.

With a sigh, Ruby stood up from Yang's cot. "Unfortunately for you that means staying put. Keep telling your side of the story and don't let anyone try to dissuade you. I don't know who our real enemies are, but we don't need to draw their suspicion by busting your out early." Yang felt her shoulders slump with disappointment but nodded all the same. She knew Ruby could be a serious tactician if she put her mind to it.

Yang stood up herself and asked, "Alright, what are you going to be doing while I'm in here?"

"I guess the first thing to do is let Weiss and Blake know you're telling the truth, try to make them see reason. After that, I don't really know. Maybe I'll try to get Jaune's and Sun's teams to back us up too. We'll stay vigilant, try to predict our enemy's next move before they make it. If worse comes to worse, we might have to stage a jailbreak."

"Get in touch with Uncle Qrow for help if you need it," Yang suggested. "He's got experience with that sorta thing."

"Alright, sounds good." Ruby stood there for a moment, wringing her hands as uncertainty claimed her features once more. Yang could sympathize. They were little more than a bunch of kids, and whatever their enemy's grand plan turned out to be, Yang could see it turning out to be more sinister than just messing with an enemy team. They were in over their heads, trying to solve a problem the adults should be taking care of.

But this was the Yang-and-Ruby-Sisters they were talking about. And nobody messed with them.

"Come over here," Yang ordered with a lazy grin. Ruby eagerly smiled the two embraced once more. Yang tried to convey all of the emotions she could through the physical contact. She trusted her little sister with her life, and Yang knew Ruby felt the same.

"We're going to make this right," Ruby told her. "I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Yang stepped back and tussled her hair affectionately, just like when they were kids. Just then they heard the guard tap the other side of the door, probably signaling their time was up. "It looks like you better get going. I love you, Ruby. Just promise me you'll be safe, no matter what happens."

"I promise, and I love you too, Yang. We'll make this right, no matter what it takes."

Ruby gave Yang a wink and turned to run out the cell door just as it opened to reveal General Ironwood. The man looked ready to berate them for taking so long, but Ruby was already long gone before he could get a word out. Ironwood turned back to Yang in her cell, and the girl met his gaze unflinchingly. She dared him to say anything, but Ironwood merely scoffed and closed the door, leaving her alone once more.

Yang sat back down on her cot, going over her conversation with Ruby in her head. For now, Yang was still imprisoned and labeled a monster who attacked downed fighters. But Ruby knew she was still the same old Yang, and she was the only person who really mattered. They had no idea what their enemy was planning, and very few friends to back them up when those plans came to fruition.

None of that mattered though. Because when Yang and Ruby were together, they could accomplish anything.

Bonus Scene

Ironwood glared after Ruby Rose's retreating form. The girl had looked far too happy and determined after having talked with her sister. She seemed to be blind to the fact that her sister attacked a defenseless boy and crippled him. Rose was practically skipping as she exited his ship!

There was something bigger going on here. Something much larger than a few Huntresses in training. Whatever it was, General James Ironwood would get to the bottom of it. The defense of entire nations rested on his shoulders, and he would damned if some… some…

Wait. What was that noise? Was that… sniffling?

Ironwood rounded on the soldier guarding Xiao Long's cell. The man had his visor retracted and his cheeks were heavily flushed. He was pressing the heel of his hand to his eyes to try and abate the flow of tears.

"Are you crying, Corporal?" Ironwood demanded.

"I… I'm sorry sir," the Corporal floundered. "It… it was just such a beautiful little moment!" The confession of which led the Corporal to bury his face in his hands as the water works truly started in earnest.

James stared at the soldier, slack jawed. Maybe these girls posed a bigger problem than he originally predicted.