Seeing Ruby cry was not something new for Yang. Growing up, she had seen her little sister shed tears for many reasons, some being completely futile and childish, like having her request for more cookies denied. Other times, however...it was because of something terrible, and there was one defining moment that came to mind above all others.
The death of Summer Rose, their mother, and the sun that lit up their lives with a smile every day.
On that occasion, when that red-haired white sun had been extinguished, Ruby cried herself to sleep every day for a whole week, to the point where her small silver eyes turned red.
Honestly, she wasn't the only one or even the one most affected by this loss.
However, because she was the youngest and most innocent, her tears seemed to weigh more heavily, making the others swallow their own tears to try and make her smile again.
Everyone except Taiyang.
Their father practically broke down that day and even walked away from his youngest daughter when he should have been there to comfort her. Back then, Yang resented her father for doing that. Today, she could understand the motive behind his hateful actions.
Even at a young age, Ruby was the spitting image of Summer.
Looking at her was almost like looking at a younger version of his dead wife, and it resulted in happy memories, guilt, and pain.
It took some time, but eventually, Ruby returned to her usual smiling, radiant self. So much so that she was the one to help pull Dad out of the darkness that haunted him and get their home back to normal... At least, as close as possible to what it used to be. After all, without Summer, their family's life would never be the same, and there was no way to change that without bringing her back.
During that time, Ruby had only shed tears again on her birthday when she remembered that Summer was no longer there with her to celebrate her special day, just as she had been in previous years.
Then, after a few years, especially after she started learning under Uncle Qrow's tutelage, Ruby changed and never cried again, not even when she visited her mother's grave at the top of the hill.
How many years had it been since then?
So much so that Yang had even forgotten how much it hurt to see her little sister in this state and why everyone had become overprotective of her.
After all, when Ruby suffered, the whole family suffered too, and nobody wanted that.
But this time, what was motivating this display of emotion was something different and much more complicated.
Ruby wasn't pouring out her heart to the point where her eyes glowed with silver fire fueled by her despair for having lost a precious person in her life. No, she was crying for having been the one to take away someone else's precious person...from many people.
Ruby Rose, the pure-hearted girl who longed to be a hero, had committed mass manslaughter.
Just thinking about it seemed silly.
No one would believe it.
The truth, however, was different, and at the moment, Ruby was no longer an adorable little girl or a pure-hearted teenager, but a warrior capable of subduing a living legend who had been tormenting the world for thousands of years.
Ruby was one of the three most powerful people on the planet and could no longer even be considered a normal human.
Just as Blake had said, Ruby and Weiss seemed like goddesses who had descended upon Remnant in every aspect of the word.
A blessing that proved to be a curse, the very day it was conceived.
Naturally, Yang wanted to blame and hate Vegeta even more than she already did.
That seemed only the natural course of action to take.
After all, the power that turned Ruby and Weiss into something else and brought this desperate scenario to life came from him.
As if that wasn't enough, he was an insensitive, inconsiderate bastard who wasn't able to say a single word to try and console Ruby, his student. Instead, Vegeta just left her crying in the middle of the courtyard where it all began with that golden transformation, before going into his house alone.
Yang hated the fact that she was physically attracted to someone so cold!
However, that was beside the point, and even if Vegeta had a hand in what happened, he couldn't be blamed entirely.
There were too many factors at play to pin it all on one person.
Yang alone had contributed immensely to this development, as had the unexpected appearance of the Nergigante, who was responsible for pushing Ruby to the limit, resulting in the destruction of those mountains and all that damage...and death.
"It's not your fault, Ruby." Yang had her little sister's face on her shoulder as she stroked her hair and back to try to comfort her. "It's not your fault."
At least, not directly, and that was all that mattered, even if the girl in question didn't think so.
Weiss and Blake were doing something similar as they continued to huddle around Ruby in a group hug.
"Yang's right, Ruby," Weiss tried again, this being the second time that day that she had to make this girl see beyond her own guilt. "What happened was beyond our control, and you can't blame yourself for it!"
The alternative would have been to simply accept their death and become Nergigante food. Considering that the thing was after them because of their powers, it could have been much worse if he had managed to devour them.
Unfortunately, the broken-hearted girl didn't seem to think so, given the tone of her voice, which sounded full of guilt and remorse.
"I-I... killed people..." Ruby squeezed Yang with her burnt hands and couldn't even feel the pain of her wounds, her body shaking nonstop. "I-I... I'm a monster!"
How was she supposed to live with that?!
Ruby had become the opposite of what she had dreamed of being!
"That's not true!" Blake almost shouted, her own eyes glistening with tears as she yanked this girl out of Yang's arms and forced her back to reality. "I..." She was shaking now, her emotions surfacing along with memories of a past she'd rather pretend never happened. "I... I also hurt and... killed people before, even if indirectly, with my actions in the White Fang."
As much as she didn't want to admit it, that was the truth.
What was once a peaceful group had become a terrorist organization, and many died because of it...because of Blake's decision to stay behind and continue helping.
"While I'm trying to become a Huntress to improve public opinion of the faunus in general, that's only half the reason." Blake let Ruby go, and the girl in question was so surprised by her morbid revelation that she even stopped crying, waiting to hear more, and she wasn't the only one. "I'm also doing this to try and make up for my mistakes...to redeem myself."
For all those who had gone the wrong way, especially Adam, her biggest regret, and the precious person Blake had failed to save from the darkness. For this reason, she was opening up so as not to repeat the same mistake and let Ruby suffer alone.
As for Weiss and Yang, they could only listen in silence, unable to find words that could or should be said in a situation like this.
They all knew that Blake had a difficult past. Virtually all faunus did. This girl, however, was connected to a terrorist organization, and that was bound to carry extra weight. Still, each of them decided to put that behind them and focus on the new leaf Blake was trying to turn over.
Everyone deserved a second chance, especially someone who was already trying to change and make a difference.
"So tell me, Ruby," Blake asked with a smile and a defeated tone of voice, this being the first time she had completely let her guard down to show the full extent of her pain and regret. "Does that make me a monster, too?"
Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but unexpectedly, no words came out, and that in itself frightened her.
At any other time, she would have shouted her answer without the slightest hesitation and said that such a question was absurd; that the mere concept behind it was ridiculous.
Blake was someone with whom she shared her daily life and the goal of becoming a protector!
She was a precious friend and teammate!
Even though they had only known each other for less than a year, Blake had proven herself time after time by chasing criminals to the point of exhaustion...
...Because she was desperate. Ruby came to the same conclusion as Yang and Weiss based on the revelations being made. Giving everything she had in order to right a wrong from the past.
Back when these incidents happened, anyone could tell that it was all personal to Blake for more than she let on, but they chose never to question her motives in depth and to live in the dark.
It was easier that way.
Sometimes ignorance was bliss, and they were afraid they would start to see Blake in a different light if they knew the truth.
How foolish could they be?
"You're not a monster..." Ruby finally found her answer, tears welling up in her eyes for a different reason alongside the semblance of a smile. "You just made a mistake."
Something that everyone experiences at least once in their lives, albeit for different reasons...and with different consequences.
"Just like you did today." Blake reached out and stroked the hair of the girl she secretly admired, expressing a smile of her own at having managed to pull her away from the darkness. "So, while it's okay to feel guilty about what happened, don't drown in that feeling or you'll find yourself unable to do anything."
To redeem herself with actions rather than tears.
"You're right." Ruby used her cloak to dry her eyes and regain some of her resolve. "Thank you, Blake."
Truly.
Weiss and Yang smiled too, happy to see a silver glimmer of hope return to this pair of eyes that had succumbed to despair.
While it didn't erase what Ruby had done, let alone free her from guilt, Blake had managed to give her a new perspective on how to deal with the situation going forward.
However, they weren't the only ones to witness all this development and be positively surprised.
"So, there's more to you than meets the eye," Vegeta spoke up to reveal his presence and gain the attention of these inattentive girls, his black eyes focusing directly on the one he had rejected for her lack of determination, when that couldn't have been further from the truth. "You should have told me all this the day we met."
If Blake had been as honest and sincere as she was just now, he would have had three students instead of two.
However, Vegeta didn't hold that against her. Better than anyone, he knew how difficult it was to talk about the past and the mistakes made, especially to a stranger.
In fact, it would have been strange if she had said everything that day. In that case, he would probably dismiss it all as a lie in an attempt to win his favor.
So maybe things were just happening the way they were supposed to.
"That..." Blake was stunned for a moment, letting the implication behind Vegeta's words echo through her mind and heart. I could have gained the power to help and maybe even prevented this whole incident from happening... Thinking about it made her regret her cowardice, but only for a moment before she decided not to go down that road. What's done is done. She couldn't change the past and had to live with it, just as she had taught Ruby. "I just...don't believe that more power is the answer I'm looking for."
It would certainly help along the way, but it was far from a solution.
Depending on the situation, more power would only make everything worse, much like the chaos that was unleashed on the world by an out-of-control explosion of golden light.
"That, in itself, is also a good answer, Blake Belladonna." Vegeta flashed a smile of his own, his satisfaction evident. "For it is those who think like that who should have power in their hands."
The opposite of what Kakarot was... and himself too.
His words, even if motivated by resentment and regret at the life he had lived, meant more than he could have imagined, and Blake had her heart beating harder in response.
This was one of those things you didn't know you needed to hear, but which made all the difference, and she was deeply grateful for it.
"Does that mean," Weiss preferred to pretend she didn't see the blush on Blake's face and how much these compliments bothered her to try and quell a doubt, "that you're going to give her power too?"
This made all the other girls look at Vegeta expectantly, especially Yang, who saw hope for her too.
After all, even if he had forgotten about it, the day they first set foot in this courtyard, as part of the condition behind unlocking Vegeta's Aura, was to give Blake and Yang a second chance if the flaws he had pointed out had been corrected.
At the moment, it seemed that Blake had fulfilled the conditions imposed.
"Maybe, maybe not." Vegeta didn't give a definitive answer, considering the ramifications of it. "We'll see about that later."
For now, he didn't need any more distractions than he already had to interfere with his training.
His answer, however, even if vague, was enough to make Blake even more excited.
While it was true that she didn't believe that power was a solution, she wanted to be able to fight alongside Ruby and Weiss, thus reducing the chances of what had happened on this day from ever repeating again.
She wasn't the only one who thought so.
It's now or never! Yang saw the opportunity and made up her mind as she stood up to come face-to-face with Vegeta. I can do this too!
Time to face the source of her nightmares and everything that had been tormenting her heart!
"Yang, what are you doing?!" Weiss half-whispered and half-shouted, a gift that came in handy given her broken rib situation. "This is no time for..." She stopped, a pair of distinctive hands resting on her shoulders. "Ruby, Blake?"
Her teammates shook their heads, silently asking her not to intervene in what was about to happen, and the reason for this was obvious.
Like Ruby, Yang was also in a bad place.
Because of all the crazy things that had happened on this day, it was easy to forget what this girl had been through over the last week.
Yang needs this, this conclusion, Weiss realized and relaxed, even if her worry remained. Let's pray that this doesn't blow out of proportion...again.
For the world couldn't handle a second wave of golden light.
"Hoo?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow, amused by this unexpected development. "Do you have anything to say, girl?"
Honestly, what else could she do but throw words at him?
Vegeta was expecting red eyes, golden flames, and an explosion of emotions, something extremely familiar for a Saiyan, but to his surprise, there was something else in this girl's lilac eyes.
Regret and guilt, the same as Ruby and Blake had; the same as he had.
Considering her state, how weak her energy was because of her depression, and even her new clothes that now covered her entire body...as much as possible, given her impressive figure, it wasn't surprising.
The impact Vegeta had on her was that big.
Then the unthinkable happened for everyone present.
Before his eyes, Vegeta saw the proud and bold girl who had provoked him to the point where he lost his composure, falling to her knees and using words that were even more unexpected than her actions.
"I'm sorry..." Yang let her voice sound a little shaky, emotion overflowing from her eyes. "For everything!"
Silence.
Not even a whisper in reply, either from the other girls or from Vegeta himself, and that put Yang over the edge.
Vegeta could see it, the fear he had ingrained in her, and, however reluctantly, he also saw a shadow of himself there on the ground.
How many times had he been forced to kneel before Freeza while waiting for something bad to happen?
Dammit...
It seemed even worse when he remembered that he had decided to scare this girl precisely to have her begging at his feet to win his favor and not his forgiveness.
"There's no reason for any of this." Vegeta covered his face with one of his hands and let a sigh escape along with his words as he tried to force these unpleasant memories away. "What happened wasn't your fault."
At least, not entirely.
"How... can you say that?" Yang raised her head, confusion written all over her saddened face. "When I forced your hand and all this destruction?"
Even if indirectly, she was also responsible for the crimes Ruby had committed.
There were many things she expected to hear, and Yang was sure that not one of them would bring her comfort. Or rather, she didn't want to be comforted; she wanted to be punished, believing that only then would the guilt that threatened to consume her finally disappear.
The answer this man had for her, however, was one capable of having the effect she wanted, even if in an unexpected way.
"That only happened because..." Vegeta began, but stopped, again being assaulted by memories, and his face showed it as he focused on the lilac eyes before him. "Because you remind me of my late wife."
Not only her, but Weiss too, with her strong attitude. As if that wasn't enough, there was Ruby with all her innocence and admiration for a monster like him, mirroring the behavior Trunks used to display...
What really made him act the way he did and decide to express his anger in the form of golden flames was seeing a shadow of the family he had lost in these girls.
In response to his little revelation, all they had to offer was silence.
However, this only lasted an instant before the air shook under the sound of four girls' voices shouting together.
"WHAT?!"
Almost immediately, Yang had her hands over her face, being sure that she was glowing red as her body heated up and her heart beat faster.
Now it all made sense!
The reaction he'd had at her provocation when she'd suggested helping to wash his back in the bath had been motivated by something his wife must have done in the past!
So there was this tenderness mixed with pain in his eyes during his confession just now!
Yang and her provocative attitude were a constant reminder of someone important that Vegeta had lost!
Before her mind could fry trying to process all this and what it could mean, the sound of someone suffering in pain gained her involuntary attention.
Looking back, Yang saw Weiss coughing up blood and Blake stroking her back to try and help.
It was the result of screaming like that when she had a bunch of broken ribs
A stupid but understandable mistake.
How could Weiss not react that way when she'd just found out that the man she was interested in was once married?!
Meaning that he... Weiss blushed at the intrusive and indecent thoughts that occurred to her, even with all this pain. He really is... mature.
After all, there was hardly anyone who got married without...doing adult things.
But...was that a good thing? Even more so when he was comparing Yang to his late wife?
Maybe not, but there was something that happened at that moment that made her heart beat faster.
When Vegeta said those words, in the middle of his sentence, he looked straight into her eyes!
What does that mean?! Weiss racked her brain trying to understand, and then something occurred to her. Maybe Vegeta sees a bit of his late wife in Yang and me!
It made sense, really!
While Yang teased him in a way that only a couple should, Weiss scolded him for his recklessness in a public place and managed to have a moment with him.
Again, that being something a good wife would do.
I want to know more. Weiss couldn't help but be curious. About this woman who came before me.
Someone who was able to leave a deep mark on the heart of the most powerful man in the world.
That and he could be extremely considerate.
"What are you doing, especially in your condition?" Vegeta let out an exasperated sigh and held out his hand to reveal three Senzu Beans that he had gone into his house to harvest just now. "Here, eat this."
The girls could only stare in confusion as three green beans floated out of the hand of this man full of surprises, stopping in front of Weiss, Ruby, and Yang.
"Err, what's this?" Ruby asked as she picked up the bean floating in front of her, being the only one able to speak when Weiss and Yang had their faces glowing red, their minds occupied for some reason. "And what about Blake?"
The girl in question was clearly dissatisfied, not only for not receiving one of those strange beans. Her attitude managed to gain Vegeta's attention, and the mere act of having this man's eyes on her was capable of making her body heat up under such intensity.
"Unlike the others, you're not hurt or even tired." Vegeta didn't mind clarifying this much. "With that being the case, you don't need a Senzu Bean."
That and he didn't have any left.
There were more growing on the small plant Whis had given him, but they weren't ready to harvest yet.
The girls looked at each other, confused, even with the explanation they had received, and simply assumed that this was some kind of medicinal plant.
What happened next was beyond their wildest dreams!
They chewed and swallowed the strange bean, but without much expectation, especially when it came to broken bones. Unexpectedly, the effect was more than immediate; it was instantaneous and in a way that could only be described as miraculous!
Each of the three girls felt a wave of energy filling their bodies to the brim as if they had eaten and slept themselves into peak condition!
For Weiss and Ruby, however, the effect was much more evident. Not only did the pain and injuries that marked their skins disappear completely, but their new powers revealed themselves on their own, transforming them.
In fact, they felt several times more powerful than before!
"Wow..." Ruby couldn't help but forget her crimes for a moment, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "My leg... It's completely healed!"
It even seemed as if she had never broken her bones in the first place!
"My ribs too!" Weiss spoke freely, even squeezed her ribcage, and felt no pain at all! "How is this possible?!"
Not only that, something had changed in her powers.
While she was definitely stronger, there was no cold being emitted from her body, and Blake certainly appreciated that, or she would have turned into a cute popsicle with cat ears, given her current proximity.
"You have way more Ki than Aura now," Vegeta observed, also noticing the difference in the princess, who continued to captivate his eyes even now with her small transformation. "This imbalance affects your abilities, and that's a good thing."
At least, for the moment.
Eventually, their Aura would grow to try and suppress all this "life".
"A good thing?" Weiss didn't see it that way, feeling a pang of disappointment. "Even if I've lost my ice?"
A unique ability that no one else had, where she didn't even need Dust as an intermediary and was extremely useful in the battle against the Grimm... except when they ate it, as the Nergigante had done, and became more powerful as a result.
With that in mind, there was truth behind Vegeta's words.
The way he saw things, however, was different.
"What use is ice, anyway?" Vegeta couldn't help but sneer at this inferior ability. "Even absolute zero is a joke in the grand scheme of things."
Years ago, before he had even gone to Earth, the lack of heat from the vacuum of space had already been unable to affect him.
In the eyes of the girls, it seemed like Vegeta had grown a second head.
Absolute zero... was a joke?
On what planet?!
Honestly, this man was too much!
"Believe me when I say this," Vegeta could see the reluctance and disbelief in the girl's eyes at losing something that seemed useful, so he decided to elaborate a little more, "You're better off without it, especially with the task ahead of us."
Indeed, the timing was perfect.
"Okay..." Weiss conceded in the end, deciding to accept the judgment of the man who certainly knew better about these powers than anyone else. Well, with this, I don't have to worry about accidentally freezing my surroundings, allies, or civilians... Then something clicked along with what Vegeta had just said. "Task, you say?"
Considering the miraculous effect of those Senzu Beans, they must be something extremely rare. So, unless it was to start training immediately, there was only one reason for a Huntsman to give up something precious like that.
"The people of the kingdom..." Weiss muttered audibly, and Ruby winced at the reminder. "You want us to go out there and help."
Which was just the right course of action.
At least, in normal circumstances.
"You catch on quickly." Vegeta nodded, soon focusing his senses on the life energies weakening and even disappearing around the city. "We've wasted enough time, let's move."
The command was given, but not everyone obeyed.
"I-I can't!" Ruby stopped circulating her ki and returned to her regular state, her fear speaking louder. "I-I don't want to hurt anyone else..."
Even more so now that she was stronger than ever, much stronger. This meant that the damage and destruction she could cause was... Suddenly, images of an empty crater in place of the kingdom were there to make her heart sink and her breathing heavy.
"This will be your first training session." Vegeta was being patient, more than he had ever been. "Think of people as if they were made of paper, an extremely thin one, and you'll be fine..." he paused for a second, thinking more about this. "Or just don't touch anyone, there's certainly plenty of debris to be moved with your strength."
That way, people wouldn't be in danger of being hurt directly by her hands.
Still, Ruby was hesitant, but only until this man's strong and strangely comforting hand rested on her shoulder.
"Besides, I'll be there too, watching your every move," Vegeta assured her, and the girl's silver eyes lit up with more than he could understand. "That way, I can step in and make up for your mistakes at any time."
Just like a proper mentor should do for his apprentice... or a father for his daughter.
Ruby had her eyes wide open, never expecting such support and consideration from someone who wasn't part of her family or team.
But Vegeta was no stranger either. This man was her mentor, and he believed in her.
So maybe I should believe, too. Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes, focusing on the immense power within her. Not for me, but for the people who need help. Opening her eyes, her silver light had returned along with the fire-red petals that circled her body as her hair grew past her shoulders, all the way down to the middle of her back. "I'll help!"
Just as she should!
"I expect nothing less." Vegeta nodded and walked a few steps away before extending his hand toward the girls with the intention of repeating something familiar to them. "Let's go."
Before he could begin, someone had lost her fear and regained some of her boldness.
"W-wait!" Yang did the unthinkable and grabbed Vegeta's outstretched hand. "You can't drop a bomb like that and pretend nothing happened!" She focused on his eyes and saw a slight reddening forming on his face, and that made her blush too as she let go of his hand. "I-I... need to know more."
Considering the look on Weiss's face, along with her jealous expression, she wasn't the only one full of curiosity.
"After this, if you excel at the task ahead, I'll answer a few questions." Vegeta regained his composure quickly, barely able to hide how much her sudden touch had rattled him, and made a promise that seemed satisfactory enough for all of them. "For now, we have more to do."
This time, there were no interruptions, and in mere seconds, he was flying away with them towards the city... much to Blake's misfortune, who couldn't get used to it.
Time to start training these girls and save some lives in the process.